Meet India’s Own Sherlock Who Once Went Undercover As a Maid to Crack a Murder Mystery
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Benedict Cumberbatch, Robert Downey Jr, and Roger Moore. What do they have in common?
These people have been by far the best depictions of the fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes. As much as they have done justice to being a detective on screen, what about the justice in real life? The western scene may have plenty, but several of these detectives in India are undermined and looked down at. Against this backdrop, how do you think a female detective would fare? Hard to think, isn’t it?
How about the first-ever ‘woman’ detective? The image of a woman battling tough situations alone and doing adventurous stuff seems like something out of a movie. But, no; it is true.
Meet Rajani Pandit, the first-ever woman detective in India.
From the state of Maharashtra, Rajani is considered a pioneer in the field of investigation. At the age of 50, Rajani claims that she has worked on and solved about 80,000 cases over the years. Read on to know about India’s very own Lady Sherlock.
The Very Beginning…
Rajani’s father worked for the Crime Investigation Department (CID) and over time Rajani picked up the art and science of investigation. At the young age of 22, Rajani went on to solve her first ever case when she was in college.
While in college, Rajani worked part-time as an office clerk for a firm. Around this time, one of her seniors told Rajani about thefts at her residence. With her son being married recently, her doubt was on the new addition to the family. However, she had nothing to prove her point. The case opened the doors of curiosity and passion inside Rajani, who went on to offer help.
Setting up a watch from across the street, Rajani kept eye on the house round the clock. Soon, she realized that the lady’s daughter-in-law was innocent. And, the culprit was her own son. Upon questioning him further, he confessed to the crime.
This was the first feather on Rajani’s cap and from here, there was no stopping her.
Back in the days, resources were minimal and yet, through mere word of mouth, she was able to create a career around her passion. And that did not come without a cost. Being a detective put her directly in the line of danger. Nevertheless, she was married to her profession.
Being a fairly tough job, Rajani did not tell her parents about it. In due course of time, her father figured out and reminded her of the dangers involved in the job. She never denied the dangers involved. Rather, she enjoyed it and went on with her work to an extent that she neither had time nor interest to start a family.
When The Going Gets Tough…
With a number of cases up her sleeves, the one that brought her directly into the limelight was her investigation of a murder. In this case, which Rajani describes as her toughest, she went undercover for over six months in the guise of domestic help.
The case involved a man and his son being murdered and there was absolutely no proof about it whatsoever. Disguised as a maid, Rajani did all the odd jobs at the woman’s house and even took care of her when she fell ill. Eventually, she gained the trust of the woman — the prime suspect of the case. All along the six months, Rajani recorded the woman’s conversations with her secretly.
However, one day, the recorder gave out a ‘click’ raising the suspect’s suspicion. After this point, she never allowed Rajani to leave the house.
Completely tied down to the house, Rajani saw her escape when her ‘employer’ has a visitor — the hitman who killed the father and son. Knowing who it was she was highly motivated to find her way out. And, what works better than an emergency.
Using a knife from the kitchen, she cut her foot and used that as an excuse to leave the home to buy bandage. She ran out to the nearest telephone booth and called her client. The very same day, the lady and the hitman were arrested.
If that is not impressive, not sure what else is.
Over the years, Rajani has solved numerous cases and she is not willing to ride into the sunset yet. In her years of work, she has put on several guises — blind woman, dumb woman, pregnant, and once, even a lunatic. This was to cover a range of cases such as missing people, murder, and corporate espionage.
Today, Rajani has taken it on herself to train and hire female detectives, who also want to make a mark in the field.
That is the amazing story of Rajani Pandit, India’s first female detective, and author of two novels. The stereotypes held against women have been broken time and again. Rajani has created her legacy. It is your time now. What are you going to leave behind — a stereotype or a legacy? Choose wisely.
