NEW DELHI — The wedding, to be celebrated in sumptuous Indian style, was due for June and everything was progressing smoothly until the groom suddenly lost interest.
Suspicious of an affair, the bride did what increasing numbers of anxious lovers and nervous families are doing in India: she rang a private detective to find out why.
In a country where nine out of 10 marriages are still arranged and modern social pressures are putting the institution under pressure, the industry of snooping on lovers has expanded fast over the last five years, say insiders.
In this case an investigation by the agency AMX -- "marriage is a gamble," says its website -- revealed that the groom had recently discovered he was HIV positive.
The discovery was made by an attractive female undercover agent sent by the agency, who befriended the groom and found his medicine.
The wedding was eventually called off, like 20 percent of cases after a probe, AMX boss Baldev Kumar Puri told AFP.
"A pre-matrimonial investigation is your duty," Puri said. "A post matrimonial investigation is much more costly."
Puri and others, like Kunwar Vikram Singh, director of the New Delhi-based Lancers agency, are in a growth industry being driven by social changes and the way in which weddings are arranged.
In cities, families are relying increasingly on small advertisements in newspapers and websites or specialist dating agencies to find the perfect match for their children.
The problem is that everyone exaggerates, or even lies, about their qualities.
"Unlike the old days when a close-knit society meant that marriages were usually held between known families, these days marriages are increasingly being arranged through unknown, unfamiliar sources," said Singh.
"There is an increased risk involved in dealing with strangers."
To bridge the trust gap, private detectives are taken on to assess candidates without their knowledge.
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