Although thriller and subterfuge belong to fiction, Rajani Pandit lives it each day. Hailed as India’s first girl non-public detective, she’s spent over 4 many years decoding secrets and techniques, fixing crimes, and counselling damaged lives. From monitoring dishonest spouses in accommodations to infiltrating political campaigns and uncovering company scams, her work reads like a thriller novel. Solely it’s all actual.
However behind the headlines, past the sunglasses-and-trenchcoat picture that detectives typically conjure, lies a girl pushed by readability of function and relentless grit. “Maine jab se pesha apnaaya hai tab se maut mere saath hello hai,” she tells actor Chhavi Mittal on her podcast.
From faculty woman to undercover sleuth
Rajani’s journey started in faculty, not as a spy however a curious observer of individuals. She began serving to mates with private issues, noticing behavioural patterns, and giving logical recommendation. It wasn’t lengthy earlier than she was being referred to as upon for extra: lacking individuals, surveillance, secret investigations. She found she had an intuition for uncovering the reality.
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Marriage? That by no means got here up. “Ladke dekhne ka time hello nahi mila,” she laughs. “Since faculty, I’ve been working on this area. Right now, I can’t even sit and watch TV; the cellphone by no means stops ringing.”
Pandit isn’t just a gumshoe; she’s half detective, half therapist, and half social employee. She speaks of instances involving estranged youngsters, addicted youths, and fogeys pushed to despair. In a single occasion, she remembers a boy compelled by his dad and mom into engineering, regardless of his lack of curiosity.
“Uska dhyaan padhaai mein nahi lagta tha. Smoking shuru kar di. Unke dad and mom pareshaan the,” she shares. Ultimately, after in depth counselling and actuality checks, the boy turned his life round.
“Aaj ke zamaane mein darwaze khule hain,” she says. “Why pressure youngsters into one slender definition of success?”
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Her caseload is eclectic and relentless; largely from households, suspicious spouses, company companies, even politicians.
“Aajkal to gale lagana, haath pakadna widespread baat ho gayi hai. Court docket mein mattress relation show karna mushkil hai,” she says, detailing how a number of resort visits, covert recordings, and social media trails assist construct legally admissible proof.
She even assists politicians throughout elections, gathering floor intelligence on rivals or gauging public sentiment. “Kya aap jeetenge ya nahi — log aapke baare mein kya soch rahe hain — wo sab pata lagta hai,” she explains matter-of-factly.
A lot of her fashionable work hinges on expertise. “Aadhi investigation social media pe hoti hai,” she admits. And instruments? “Spy cameras in teddy bears, pens, buttons… Even beneath the desk microphones.”
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In a single case, she uncovered a large counterfeit items racket the place pretend branded merchandise have been flooding the market. By tracing the pretend provide chain from retailers to distributors, she helped corporations act on real-time intel.
But it surely hasn’t all the time been easy. Rajani recounts an intense authorized battle over her guide, which was pirated with out her information. She found 1000’s of duplicate copies being offered in her identify. When she pursued the culprits, she confronted threats, intimidation, and even a deliberate mob assault in court docket.
“Unhone kaha ki aapka to ‘kini’ ban jaayega — aap kyun gayi inquiry karne?” she remembers, referring to a veiled menace of bodily hurt. She fought again legally — and gained.
The human aspect of spying
Her job could also be riddled with cloak-and-dagger ways, however she by no means loses sight of the human component. Whether or not it’s guiding a rebellious teen or confronting a mendacity partner, she’s conscious about the influence fact can have.
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“Har baat sabko bataani chahiye ya nahi, ye resolve karna padta hai,” she explains. “Accountability hai.”
Regardless of the darkness she typically confronts, she finds fulfilment in serving to others, in actual change. She’s additionally assisted police, quietly and unofficially, on a number of instances the place her intel proved very important.
Unsurprisingly, her life has attracted the eye of filmmakers. Talks are underway for an internet sequence based mostly on her experiences.
“Aapka character primary play karun?” Chhavi, the host, joked. Rajani smiles, “Appearing mein kar sakti ho, lekin asli zindagi mein detective banna mushkil hai.”
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She laughs, however the seriousness of her path stays evident.
