27 July,2009 08:07 AM IST | | Kranti Vibhute
Children spying on parents is the latest trend, say agencies
Once upon a time, parents would hire detectives to spy on their college-going children and report misdemeanours if any.
Once upon a time, a husband would hire a detective to spy on his wife and report illicit liaisons if any. And of course, so did wives.
Now, it's the children, who hire detectives to spy on their parents, a trend that agencies say is very new.
Darshan Shah, who owns the detective agency Strategic Assignments and Intelligence Bureau in Ghatkopar, said, "We have been getting many cases where children, generally working professionals wanted to know what their parents are up to.
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Said Lomesh Rai, operations head of Globe Detective Bureau, "From zero to at least two cases a month is a lot and we believe it's a trend."
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Deepak Gaikwad, a senior detective with Master Detective Services, Goregaon, added, "Most cases are from affluent and middle-class families.
The children want to know whether their names are in the will, or whether their parents have any other illegitimate relationships so that their claim is not diluted."
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He added, "Before we take up a case, we first ask our client why he wants the suspect followed, their suspicions and the proof."
Explaining the trend Rahul Ghadge, a psychiatrist, said, "Often senior citizens lose both financial and emotional independence.
They seek a friend to satisfy emotional needs." This often leads to relationships that the children don't approve of.
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Added Anjali Chhabria, psychiatrist, "Parents who try to be young are looked upon with suspicion.
This behaviour forces children to find devious solutions. If this is happening, it's because there's a communication gap."
Case studies
Disappearing pension
The detective agency found out that the father spent the money on lottery tickets and he had a second wife.
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Most of the pension was spent on her.
Telephone call
The detective discovered that he had come to Mumbai to stay with a 25-year-old girl.
When the father called the son from a public telephone booth, he was traced to Kalyan.
Mom's got a lover
The detective found out she had an affair with a 65-year-old man she had met aboard a flight.
They had an affair and she opened an account in his name and transferred Rs 2 crore. The son finally found her with the man in a hotel.
A son wanted to know how his 50-year-old father spends his money and hired a detective.
It was discovered the father was having an affair and the money was spent on the girlfriend.