Rising matrimonial frauds boost demand for private detectives

Services for pre-marital checks rise exponentially

Over the past decade, more and more people in India have turned to private detectives to investigate potential brides and grooms before marriage. This growing trend shows how cautious people have become as relationships and expectations continue to evolve in today’s society.

With over 10 million marriages each year, India’s wedding industry is nothing short of spectacular, and with each passing year, it is becoming bigger and more extravagant.

But behind these grand celebrations, families and individuals are becoming more cautious than ever when it comes to choosing life partners.

Increased mobility and rise of social media has turned the task of finding a perfect match into a huge challenge. As more people, especially the youth, migrate to various parts of the country in search of jobs, it has broken the traditional system of vetting potential grooms and brides through a tightly-knit community and society which would provide accurate information being sought by any worried suitor or the parents.

Rising distrust, changing expectations, and the growing individualism brought on by urban life have made pre-matrimonial background checks a popular service. As a result, more and more people are turning to private detectives to ensure their happily ever after starts on solid ground.

According to Sanjeev Kumar, a private detective with six years of experience, who works with DDS Detective Agency, a firm based in south Delhi, few people in Delhi sought private detectives for pre-matrimonial background checks a decade ago. Today, with increasing demand for their services has led to a significant rise in the number of detective agencies in Delhi.

“Ten years earlier, there were 15 detective agencies in the city, now there are more than 350, the workload has now doubled, everybody is getting work,” Kumar tells Media India Group

Although the number of private detective agencies has grown, there is still no clear data on how many operate in Delhi. This is mainly because the industry lacks standardised regulations, making it tough to get an accurate picture of its size and reach.

According to the private eyes, there are several reasons why people are now turning to private detectives to gather information about their prospective partners.

According to Rajeev Kumar, who has 25 years of experience as a private detective, and who works with the City Intelligence Agency, a detective agency based in South Delhi, as more people are now living in gated societies, ensuring greater privacy for individuals, families and even individuals themselves have become more cautious. To verify details, they are increasingly turning to private detectives to check the backgrounds of prospective partners.

“In the past, people would meet in person and get to know each other. But now, we live in gated communities where even neighbours don’t know much about each other. As a result, when people are looking to form relationships with unknown families, there is a lack of information. To verify the details that they have been given and ensure they are accurate, parents or even the candidates themselves are now hiring private agencies,” Kumar of City Intelligence Agency tells Media India Group.

Additionally, shifting expectations are driving the growing reliance on pre-matrimonial background checks. Many people now turn to  detectives to uncover details like relationship history, past marriages, financial transparency, and alignment with family values, he adds.

In one such case, the father of a 24-year-old woman reached out to the City Intelligence Agency for a discreet background check on her suitor. Despite her being in a committed three-year relationship with the 28-year-old man and confident about their future together, her father couldn’t shake off his unease. The investigation later revealed that the man was already married with three children.

The matter escalated to the point that Meerut Police had to intervene to legally annul the couple’s court marriage.

Kumar says that such cases highlight how evolving expectations of trust and honesty in relationships are pushing families to seek professional help, ensuring a sense of security before committing to marriage.

Rising matrimonial scams fuel demand for detectives

The dramatic rise in matrimonial scams that are being reported from across the entire country, has significantly contributed to the growing demand for background checks. In one such case in Rajasthan, police arrested a ‘thief bride’ who posed as an ideal partner on a matrimonial website. After gaining the trust of her husband and his family, this Uttarakhand woman stole jewellery and cash, worth millions.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Crime Branch arrested a man named Mukeem Ayyub Khan, who impersonated a government official on various matrimonial websites, deceived around 50 highly educated women.

These cases reflect the growing menace of matrimonial scams in the country. Hence, it fuels the demand for background checks before marriage.

According to Sanjeev Kumar, many people are now marrying strangers they meet through websites or newspapers, leading to an increase in cases of individuals being deceived through marriage.

But an increasing number of people seeking the services of private detectives for pre-marital background checks has also created a debated over invasion of privacy and there are mixed views on the matter from both married individuals and marriage counselors.

On one hand, pre-marital background checks are seen as a pragmatic approach aimed at securing one’s future in an era where deceiving unsuspecting victims has become more common. Aishwarya Nair is a 27-year-old senior research associate at Wockhardt, a pharmaceutical firm in Aurangabad, who got married 10 months ago. Nair says she supports this practice, calling it a ‘sensible approach’. According to her, it helps identify significant issues that could potentially cause complications between both parties.

However, there are also ethical implications when such investigations breach privacy, leading to the uncovering of sensitive details that can result in mistrust and misunderstandings. Saloni Sanghvi, a 31-year-old woman from Pune who recently moved to Germany with her husband, says she is completely against the practice, arguing that it crosses the boundaries of respect and inclusivity of a family.

“For marriages, friends and mutual connections can generally help determine whether the family is well-suited. When one hires a private detective, it crosses the boundaries of respect and inclusivity of a family,” Sanghvi tells Media India Group.

But, Shivani Sadhoo, the founder and director of Saarthi Counseling Services and a marriage counselor with around 13 years of experience, believes that a balance must be struck between caution and personal boundaries.

She argues that relationships should be built on trust and honesty and that these investigations should be complemented by transparency and open communication between couples.

“Ethical implications arise when such investigations breach privacy or are conducted without an individual’s consent. Uncovering sensitive details, such as past relationships or family issues, can lead to misunderstandings or mistrust, especially if these concerns could have been addressed through open communication. While caution is necessary, a balance must be maintained to respect personal boundaries. As relationships are built on trust and honesty, these investigations should complement, not replace, the transparency and dialogue essential for a strong marital foundation,” Sadhoo tells Media India Group.