Image courtesy Ahmedabad Mirror
The Detective Investigation Department, or DID, was a recreational club formed by young students of MGIS, with their headquarters on campus. Read the article below.
NO. 1 CHILDREN’S DETECTIVE AGENCY
From lost shoe to Rs 40,000 laptop, six 10-year-olds from Mahatma Gandhi International School have solved 25 cases on campus
By Shraddha.Singh @timesgroup.com
On the table lies magnifying lens, night vision glasses, binoculars, battery-powered torches, spy goggles and a secret messenger device. If you thought you have entered the secret lair of gadget maker Q who creates super cool stuff for James Bond, you are wrong. These tools of spycraft belong to six spirited 10-year-olds — Ameya Joshi, Manav Shah, Arjun Puri, Spandan Pandya, Ryan Kapur and Yuvraj Patel — whose adventures mirror author Enid Blyton’s young detectives.
They haven’t dealt with the Mystery of the Invisible Thief or stumbled on a Mystery Island but these Class 5 students of Mahatma Gandhi International School have earned the gratitude of schoolmates and teachers for recovering lost items like spectacles, pen drives and even a laptop!
The self-proclaimed shishyas of fictional detective Sherlock Holmes have gained so much success in their endeavours that they have started their own agency called Detective Investigation Department, popularly known as DID.
CASE OF THE MISSING SHOE
Their escapade began with the case of the missing shoe. “The shoe belonged to our classmate. When he failed to locate it, he came to us for help. We searched high and low for the missing shoe and finally found it under a carpet in a field behind the school,” said Manav.
The six have solved 25 cases on campus. The six even traced a Rs 40,000 laptop belonging to Class X student. “We found it in the corner of the library, buried under a pile of books. Even our teachers come to us when they need our help to track down something. Our schoolmates trust our detective abilities now,” said Ameya.
However, it was not always the case. “We started the agency last September to help students and teachers retrieve their lost belongings. We saved our pocket money to buy gadgets and when our parents came to know of our interest, they pitched in too. Initially, our batchmates made fun of the agency. Some even came up with silly cases to test our abilities. They would ask us to look for diapers, pencils, rubbers and other petty things. One of our classmates even asked us to help him find spectacles he was already wearing!” said Arjun.
ELEMENTARY, MY DEAR WATSON
The six remained undeterred. “We solved cases successfully and gained the respect and trust of our classmates. We usually form pairs and divide the work,” said Spandan.
“We look to Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes to solve our mysteries. We also watch detective serials and read books for help. Holmes’ astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve difficult cases is simply mind-boggling,” said Ameya.
The children also have a set of rules to make DID successful. “We have a list of do’s and don’ts that we stick to at all cost. When embarking on a search operation, we draw up a plan, conduct a detailed survey, take a long walk around the school and talk to everyone who may know something about the lost belonging. We also try to find as much as possible about the person, his behaviour and belongings. We finish our lunch quickly so that we can utilise our breaks for DID work,” said Yuvraj.
The group enjoy their holidays hiking, camping and exploring new regions.
With the onset of summer vacations, the spy kids are working on making DID more professional. “Ryan is away on a holiday but we are working on having our own website, office and uniform. With every case, we are getting more involved in the craft. We enjoy taxing our brains and solving mysteries,” added Spandan, who manages the requirements of DID and keeps everything going.
Here’s wishing them luck on their future adventures!
SPIRITED SIX: (L to R) Yuvraj Patel, Manav Shah, Ameya Joshi, Arjun Puri, Spandan Pandya and Ryan Kapur (absent)
The spy kids have started their own agency called Detective Investigation Department
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