As Navratri festivities reach their peak, an unusual trend has emerged in Mumbai: parents and relatives are hiring private detectives to keep tabs on youngsters attending late-night garba and dandiya events.
Middle-Class Families Join the Trend
According to private detective Rajni Pandit, even girls from middle-class families are buying expensive passes to attend grand dandiya events. This year, parents from middle-class households have also started hiring detectives to monitor their children. Bookings for September 27 and 28, which fall on a weekend, are particularly high.
Social Media Drives Parental Concerns
“The demand for surveillance has increased not only from parents worried about their children but also from spouses suspicious of their partners,” Pandit said. “With social media making it easier for young people to connect, families want to know who their children are meeting or dancing with at these events.”
Detectives Track Children and Suspicious Partners
Investigators are being hired to gather information on boys and girls introduced through social media or to discreetly monitor whom a child is attending garba nights with. In some cases, suspicious husbands or wives employ detectives to confirm whether their partners are secretly attending these events.
Fees for Surveillance on the Rise
Pandit noted that while the overall craze for garba this year seems slightly lower compared to previous years, assignments continue to pour in. Detectives in Mumbai reportedly charge ₹8,000–₹10,000 per person per night for surveillance, while outstation assignments can range from ₹10,000–₹20,000, excluding the cost of event passes if clients fail to provide them.
Case Highlight Illustrates the Trend
Sharing a recent case, Pandit explained: “A Gujarati woman told her Punjabi fiancé that she doesn’t know how to play garba and refused to accompany him. However, she secretly went out to play at night. Suspicious of her behavior, the fiancé hired me to monitor her movements for two days.”
Navratri Nights Keep Detectives Busy
As Navratri nights continue, the festive beats of garba are not only drawing dancers to the floor but also keeping private detectives busier than usual.
