Private detectives are after your HIV status !!??

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Private detectives: a pre-nuptial priority for some in India

By Beatrice Le Bohec (AFP) – 1 day ago

NEW DELHI — The wedding, to be celebrated in sumptuous Indian style, was due for

June and everything was progressing smoothly until the groom suddenly lost

interest.

Suspicious of an affair, the bride did what increasing numbers of anxious lovers

and nervous families are doing in India: she rang a private detective to find

out why.

In a country where nine out of 10 marriages are still arranged and modern social

pressures are putting the institution under pressure, the industry of snooping

on lovers has expanded fast over the last five years, say insiders.

In this case an investigation by the agency AMX -- " marriage is a gamble, " says

its website -- revealed that the groom had recently discovered he was HIV

positive.

The discovery was made by an attractive female undercover agent sent by the

agency, who befriended the groom and found his medicine.

The wedding was eventually called off, like 20 percent of cases after a probe,

AMX boss Baldev Kumar Puri told AFP.

" A pre-matrimonial investigation is your duty, " Puri said. " A post matrimonial

investigation is much more costly. "

Puri and others, like Kunwar Vikram Singh, director of the New Delhi-based

Lancers agency, are in a growth industry being driven by social changes and the

way in which weddings are arranged.

In cities, families are relying increasingly on small advertisements in

newspapers and websites or specialist dating agencies to find the perfect match

for their children.

The problem is that everyone exaggerates, or even lies, about their qualities.

" Unlike the old days when a close-knit society meant that marriages were usually

held between known families, these days marriages are increasingly being

arranged through unknown, unfamiliar sources, " said Singh.

" There is an increased risk involved in dealing with strangers. "

To bridge the trust gap, private detectives are taken on to assess candidates

without their knowledge.

Information given by potential partners can be verified, such as their financial

position, educational achievements, health and even sexual orientation.

Suspicions about business or personal liaisons can be checked out, as well as

former amorous relationships.

The detectives are sometimes students recruited from university campuses, older

people who are unlikely to be suspected, former policemen specialised in

investigations or medical employees with access to health records.

An investigation can normally be carried out in seven to 10 days and costs

15,000-300,000 rupees (320-6,400 dollars) depending on the complexity and travel

required. The family's wealth is also taken into account.

For Puri, there's nothing unethical about running background checks on a

potential life partner.

" People are coming because they want to be 100-percent sure. It's like a medical

check-up, you do it once a year just to be sure that everything is ok, " he said.

Ranjana Kumari, head of the Centre for Social Research and a leading women's

rights activist, said the growth in private detectives was understandable given

changes in the way marriages are arranged nowadays.

" Now marriage has become very impersonal and people are not sure. Investigating

is the only way to know, " she told AFP.

In recent years, attitudes towards dating have changed dramatically in India

among the middle classes, who generally enjoy far more freedom than their

parents.

But when it comes to marriage, parents are still heavily involved and Kumari

said couples often have too little time to really get to know their prospective

spouses, which is why private investigators are being brought in.

Singh said he had a female client from the Indian army who wanted him to look

into a divorced businessman she was planning on marrying.

" The businessman took her out. He behaved like a perfect gentleman, " he

explained. " The marriage was fixed and the wedding cards were sent. But then he

was always postponing their meetings. "

And the outcome of his investigation?

" He was married to a beautiful woman in Kolkata. No case of divorce was pending

in the court, " he said.

AFP. All rights reserved.