With popular series like Nancy Drew and Sherlock Holmes, at some point, everyone has imagined what it takes to be a detective. However, all these series and the current scenario are filled with examples of male detectives. Akriti Khatri has broken this notion by starting her own detective agency in 2012- Venus Detective Agency.
In an exclusive interview with the youngest female detective of the country, Akriti talks about her journey, challenges and what it is to take the road less travelled in this male-dominated field.
Talking about what led her in the field she said,
I never thought I'll be a detective, it just happened by chance. I had a Bachelor's degree in Science and then pursued my MBA. I was a directionless person when I happened to see a vacancy in a detective agency. The interview went well and I accepted the offer. However, it was a constant struggle to prove my worth as a woman detective as there were people who always look down upon me including my boss, colleagues and other people. Finally, at the age of 24, I quit my job and started my own detective agency- Venus Detective agency in 2012 and currently there are several branches in major cities like Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Pune, Chandigarh and Jaipur.
"The investigative work falls under two categories: personal and corporate". Throwing some light on the nature of her work she further said, "the personal investigation includes pre-marital checks, post-marriage checks, checks for maintenance claims, child custody, etc. The corporate investigation covers brand copyrights and trademarks, employee checks, labour court cases, cheating and undercover surveillance".
On talking about what challenges she faces she further mentioned,
In India, there are a lot of legalities with regards to Right to Privacy. Moreover, being a detective is not an official profession in the country. One of the biggest challenges is when I'm investigating businessmen or politicians as they have a lot of security around them which makes the process all the more difficult. A detective always needs to be alert, mentally and physically fit and full of confidence. Also, there is no formal education for one to be a detective and its all upon their personal skills. There are several hobby courses for detectives online but there is no proper certification or professionalism in this courses.
Along with the challenges, there are many pros as well. Akriti was all smiles when she said that the best part was that she doesn't look like a detective which makes her work a bit easy. There is no monotony to her work and she wakes up every day to new challenges.
Akriti Khatri's story is sure to make you 'sherlocked' about the profession and her journey!
Also Read: Prathima Pingali: The Only Indian Pawparazzi In The Top 100 Photographers In The World
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