NEW DEHLI: Reel-life Karamchand thrilled Indian TV viewers -- few have forgotten the carrot, Kitty and the dexterous detective. But, what about the real-life Karamchands? Though donning the mantle of a detective is not an easy task, many a daredevil takes the plunge into this challenging but lucrative business.

Major Deva, running three-year old Delta Investigations, says, "Its a challenging line, you encounter a new problem every day, there is no monotony and the business is pretty good."

Interestingly, genesis of this prospective business lies in social mechanics, a subtle, intriguing human mind with its greed and passion which creates trouble for itself, every now and then. Major Deva says, "Human race is pretty good at making complications for itself. Society is afflicted by suspicion. A wife suspects her husband, boss suspects his subordinates. In fact, every X suspects a Y." It's a perennial business as old as civilisation. What about the charges and profit? No detective is willing to divulge his secret but Major Deva gives a clear hint: "There is no standard matrix. The charge for an operation depends on three factors; input (information provided by the client), output (the result required by the client) and the time-frame (how quick the client wants to get the output)."

For Adarsh Intelligence Network, running for about six years, charges are classified information, never to be leaked out. Eagle Hunter Detective Private Ltd. follows the same principle.

Private sleuths have an unwritten code -- they don't ever intrude into the job of the police. Major Deva is one of them. He says, "We don't touch crime. We leave it to the police." But, there are exceptions. Deviprasad Das, administrator of Eagle Hunter, says, "Yes, we investigate murders." Adarsh Intelligence too engages in all types of investigations related to murder, theft, vigilance and operation.

Marketing is not a problem in this business. People themselves come in search of good detectives. Once a detective builds a good reputation, he can carve out an outstanding niche for himself. The marketing ground rule, `a satisfied customer, brings in many more', operates in the security business too.Major Deva agrees. "We don't take too many cases, we are selective. One does not worry about the clients -- word of mouth does. Invariably, a satisfied client returns to somebody and that is how we get cases continuously."

Very few detectives in our country use sophisticated equipment, which affects their performance. Major Deva claims, "These electronic devices are costly and fail to satisfy the criteria of cost-effectiveness." However, latest cameras and activated tape-recorders are widely used. These devices are easily available in the market. It may be a handicap for some but the absence of ultra-modern equipment in the field makes it easier for the beginners to start with a meagre investment.

What encourages the sleuths is that the growth prospects are boundless. Adarsh Intelligence is getting a very good response continuously for last six years. Eagle Hunter and Delta too do not lag far behind. Most of the detective agencies are into personal security to the individuals and the corporate houses which ensures a regular cash flow. Contacts also easily get established. Deviprasad says, "We investigate cases, even murder, where our personal security service is already in operation." The number of detectives working in Delhi is astonishingly high. But the idea has not percolated to the smaller centres. Considering that any adventurer can set up shop as a private-eye without hassles, the securities business is ideally a worthy opening for worthy opening for ex-cops and ex-servicemen.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.