Kids, your parents are spying on you

A student of a reputed college in the city told her parents that she was going to Goa during the summer vacation with 12 girlfriends.

Not convinced about the ‘girlfriends’ accompanying her, the girl’s parents, residents of Malabar Hill, hired a private detective to spy on her.

Sleuths from the Lotus Detective agency found that the girl was sharing a room with her boyfriend in Goa and that there were two other couples accompanying them. She was also spotted consuming liquor and snorting cocaine.

An increasing number of parents have hired detectives to keep a tab on the activities of their children during the vacation. Though this trend is not new, compared to 2011, there has been a 50% increase in parents paying detectives to find out if their children are consuming alcohol and drugs. They are also curious to know if their kids have boyfriends or girlfriends.

“It is because of awareness among parents that more couples have started approaching us to keep a tab on their children,” said Rahul Rai, proprietor of Veteran Investigation Services (VIS) in Vikhroli. VIS received 60 cases between April and May last year. This year, the agency has investigated 45 cases in April alone and there are more parents waiting to hire its services.     l Turn to p8

The demand for their services has translated into good money for detective agencies. “We charge between Rs7,000 and Rs25,000 per day depending on the client’s requirement,” Rai said. The agencies say they provide the desired result, including evidence. “Those who approach us are mostly from posh localities. More parents want to keep a tab on girls than boys,” said Utpal Choudhary, a detective from the Lotus Detective agency in Andheri. “The fee depends on the client’s background. It ranges between Rs10,000 and 25,000.”

Most cases are about students studying in colleges, though some parents have also hired detectives to keep a watch on their school-going kids. “We are also asked to travel out of the city if the child is going for a trip,” Choudhary said. He said in 98% of the cases, the person who is being tailed is involved in an activity not approved by his/her parents.

The parents of a schoolboy whose behavior had changed during vacations roped in DS Detective Agency at Matunga to keep a watch on his activities during April. The agency found that the boy and his friends were involved in many unlawful activities, including consuming drugs.

DM Saroj of DS Detectives said parents of schoolchildren are increasingly worried about their kids. “In most cases, both the father and mother are working. As a result, they cannot go out on a vacation with their children. The children are often alone at home or with their friends and this results in them taking to unlawful activities,” Saroj said.

Private detectives say because parents are busy earning money and have no time for children, such cases will increase with each passing year.