Counterfeiting rises as lockdown puts private detectives in fix

New Delhi, April 14 (SocialNews.XYZ) Since the lockdown has come into place, the non-inclusion of private detective agencies under the gambit of essential services is causing a slew of problems.

Whether it's insurance claims or merger of corporates, everything is being halted due to the non-functioning of the private detective agencies.

Speaking to IANS, Kunwar Vikram Singh, chief of the Association of Private Detectives in India (APDI), said, "Closing down of our profession is causing delays in the awarding of insurance claims as checks are not being carried out."

"Physical investigation on ground is completely halted and the online investigation over the already taken assignments is going on in a blatant manner," said Ajit Singh, Managing Director, Hatfield Detectives.

Ajit Singh also said that since such agencies carry out corporate investigations, the non- functioning of these agencies is resulting in lack of information for the corporates and hence, their decisions would get delayed.

"For example, if a company is about to carry out a merger, the same would not be possible because it would not have the required background checks and hence it would either delay or gravely affect such decisions," he said.

Kunwar Vikram Singh asserted that the private detectives should also be included under essential services as they are not only necessary, but would also act as an aide to the law enforcement agencies which are busy in enforcing the lockdown in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak in the country.

"Counterfeiting and sale of spurious products have increased since the lockdown was imposed. The major work force of the agencies is busy with that and carrying out raids is not possible. Since the private investigators aren't being allowed, they cannot expose such activities either," he said.

Recently, Kunwar Vikram Singh also wrote a letter to the Prime Minister apprising him of the substandard and counterfeit products being sold to "innocent" people amid the coronavirus induced lockdown.
"I am writing to bring to your notice the danger of substandard counterfeit products flooding our markets during the Covid-19 lockdown and beyond, potentially causing a mammoth health and safety challenge," the APDI Director wrote in the letter.

Source: IANS