Issue 2 · Case 4 · 14 August 2026
Bombay wireless desk · 1968 · Farid Contractor
The Mahim Book Exchange
A 1968 lending-circle parcel returned with one catalogue card missing.
REPORT: Mahim, 1968. A lending-circle parcel returned from its weekly exchange without a catalogue card. The missing card matters because two books share a title and the circle must return each to its owner. The organiser has kept the wrapping and collected four signed accounts from those who helped with the exchange. The circle’s secretary checked the four accounts against the parcel list and the surviving catalogue cards. The person who gave the false statement is responsible for this incident. Identify that person, the place they visited and the item they carried.
Reading room sorts its index cards by hand
The Colaba citizens’ room has moved its reference cards into fresh trays, leaving a quiet table for anyone checking the evening bulletin.
Imran Khan's handling record names two items
Imran Khan carried either the Catalogue card or the Wrapping paper.
Sea wind delays the morning umbrella parade
Commuters arriving by the harbour side found a brisk shower at the platform edge, though the late-morning service settled once the clouds lifted.
Peter Lobo's signed account enters the tally
Peter Lobo signed this account: “I carried the Catalogue card.”
Apprentice learns the patient art of splicing tape
A junior sound-room assistant completed a careful spool-repair exercise using blank rehearsal stock, earning a handwritten note from the station engineer.
Kanta Rege's signed account enters the tally
Kanta Rege wrote: “I carried the String tie.”
CLASSIFIED
Book parcels wrapped for lending circles
Mahim Paper House folds brown paper around borrowed novels, catalogue cards, and other things people promise to return.
Request hour saves room for a young tabla player
A small studio orchestra has reserved one measured interlude for a neighbourhood tabla pupil, recorded with a ribbon microphone after the spoken announcements.
Shaila Deshmukh's signed account enters the tally
Shaila Deshmukh signed this account: “I visited the Post shelf.”
Visitors to sign the rehearsal-room book
Anyone collecting sheet music is asked to enter a name and time in the green book at reception, keeping the narrow passage clear during broadcasts.
Porch traced to the Date stamp record
The person carrying the Date stamp was the visitor to the Porch.
CLASSIFIED
Copper Kettle Irani Café offers a quiet corner
Copper Kettle Irani Café serves brun pav, khari biscuits and chai in thick cups for readers waiting out a shower. The counter keeps change in a tin, not in coat pockets.
Imran Khan's signed account enters the tally
Imran Khan's signed statement reads: “I visited the Binding table.”
Matunga annual-day booklet returned with its music cue
A slim school booklet came back through the post with a pencilled harmonium cue inside, a small acknowledgement of an earlier Bombay school desk.
Witness tally flags one false claim
In the lending circle’s parcel book, among the four signed statements, exactly one is false.
Binding table traced to the Catalogue card record
In the lending circle’s parcel book, the carrier of the Catalogue card visited the Binding table.
Deduction board
Confirming a pair rules out the other cells in its row and column.
Blank → ○ possible → × ruled out → ✓ matched.
Swipe to compare. Match each icon to the key below.
| 1Imran Khan | 2Peter Lobo | 3Kanta Rege | 4Shaila Deshmukh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Wrapping paper | ||||
| 2String tie | ||||
| 3Date stamp | ||||
| 4Catalogue card |
| 1Imran Khan | 2Peter Lobo | 3Kanta Rege | 4Shaila Deshmukh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Binding table | ||||
| 2Porch | ||||
| 3Post shelf | ||||
| 4Reading corner |
| 1Wrapping paper | 2String tie | 3Date stamp | 4Catalogue card | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Binding table | ||||
| 2Porch | ||||
| 3Post shelf | ||||
| 4Reading corner |
File your accusation
Reading your saved case…
Icon key
| 1Sus 1 | Imran Khan |
|---|---|
| 2Sus 2 | Peter Lobo |
| 3Sus 3 | Kanta Rege |
| 4Sus 4 | Shaila Deshmukh |
| 1Imp 1 | Wrapping paper |
|---|---|
| 2Imp 2 | String tie |
| 3Imp 3 | Date stamp |
| 4Imp 4 | Catalogue card |
| 1Loc 1 | Binding table |
|---|---|
| 2Loc 2 | Porch |
| 3Loc 3 | Post shelf |
| 4Loc 4 | Reading corner |