New Delhi, Jan 10 (IANS): A plea was listed on Monday before the Delhi High Court which sought framing of guidelines to regulate the activities of private detectives as they remain outside the existing statutory framework.

A division bench presided over by Chief Justice D.N. Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh adjourned the petition for further hearing on February 21 as the petitioner's counsel was unwell.

Petitioner Radha Bisht through Adv Preeti Singh stated that although the Private Detective Agencies (Regulation) Bill was introduced before Rajya Sabha in 2007, no progress was made in this regard after that.

The plea also contended that a victim of domestic violence, having a strained relationship with her husband, who allegedly appointed a private detective for following the petitioner and sending goons to follow her.

It was also highlighted that people being cheated or offended by the activities of private detectives, saying such inability to make them liable before any court of law or authority enables them to operate in any manner which they feel to be suitable for them.

A work of a private detective lacking accountability with respect to its modus operandi enables violation of fundamental rights of the citizens of enriched under Article 21 of the Constitution. The petitioner like many others is a victim of the unregularised activities of a private detective.

It further said that due to no law governing the activities of private detectives, the petitioner is unable to resort to any authority with her grievance.

It also pointed out through the internet, one can observe that there are innumerable freelancers and private detective agencies which take pride in the crafty ways in which they bend and break the law to track others.

The work of a private detective, when done without accountability, poses a threat to the citizen's fundamental rights, the plea said.