Issue 4 · Case 2 · 22 August 2026
Bombay local lines · 1988 · Ramesh Soman
The Andheri Bus Card
A school bus card was punched twice before a 1988 departure.
REPORT: Andheri, 1988. A school bus card has two punches against a single departure. The route supervisor needs to establish who altered it before accepting the trip paperwork. Pupils are waiting with the attendant while staff check the records. The conductor, teacher, attendant and mechanic each had a part in preparing the service. The trip inspection sheet attributes the second punch on the departure card to the person carrying the Route card. Identify the person who carried the Route card and the place they visited.
Footpath repainting leaves a clear path to the crossing
A Churchgate ward crew finished a fresh white edge near the crowded crossing, asking pedestrians to use the temporary route until the paint dried.
Farah Contractor's handling record names two items
In the school transport inspection file, Farah Contractor carried one of two items: the Whistle or the Nut driver.
Evening handover brings a light platform shower
The evening rush arrived with a short shower and careful umbrella folding, while the suburban-local handover continued beneath the station’s familiar announcements.
Mahesh More's handling record names two items
In the school transport inspection file, Mahesh More carried either the Route card or the Whistle.
Parcel clerk earns praise for a tidy delivery register
A young parcel clerk completed a month of careful entries in the delivery register, keeping twine bundles and return slips in their allotted tray.
Maintenance station and Punch clip entries do not match
Whoever carried the Punch clip did not visit the Maintenance station.
CLASSIFIED
Bus whistles polished before departure
Andheri Route Stores sells whistles, punch clips, and route cards for conductors who know a crowd can count better than it listens.
Platform bookstall hosts a small poetry reading
After the evening crowd thinned, a bookstall owner will read three short poems beside the magazine stack, with a black roadster bicycle leaned outside.
Staff room traced to the Nut driver record
Whoever carried the Nut driver visited the Staff room.
Parcel receipts must be collected before closing
Customers expecting a twine-bound parcel are requested to bring the counter slip before the final collection bell, leaving the narrow window free for the next queue.
Mahesh More's movements narrow to two stops
Mahesh More's recorded visit was to the Bus bay or the Maintenance station.
CLASSIFIED
Monsoon Clock Irani Café keeps a seat for readers
Monsoon Clock Irani Café serves brun pav, bun maska and chai for travellers between platforms. A folded newspaper is welcome; dripping parcels are not.
Ticket desk traced to the Route card record
Whoever carried the Route card visited the Ticket desk.
Girgaon clerk returns a borrowed red cloth file
A red cloth file was returned through the evening post with no note beyond a careful date stamp, linking two otherwise ordinary Bombay desks.
Dinesh Pillai's handling record names two items
Dinesh Pillai's item was either the Route card or the Nut driver.
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.
| 1Mahesh More | 2Kavita Prabhu | 3Farah Contractor | 4Dinesh Pillai | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Nut driver | ||||
| 2Route card | ||||
| 3Punch clip | ||||
| 4Whistle |
| 1Mahesh More | 2Kavita Prabhu | 3Farah Contractor | 4Dinesh Pillai | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Ticket desk | ||||
| 2Maintenance station | ||||
| 3Staff room | ||||
| 4Bus bay |
| 1Nut driver | 2Route card | 3Punch clip | 4Whistle | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Ticket desk | ||||
| 2Maintenance station | ||||
| 3Staff room | ||||
| 4Bus bay |
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Reading your saved case…
Icon key
| 1Sus 1 | Mahesh More |
|---|---|
| 2Sus 2 | Kavita Prabhu |
| 3Sus 3 | Farah Contractor |
| 4Sus 4 | Dinesh Pillai |
| 1Imp 1 | Nut driver |
|---|---|
| 2Imp 2 | Route card |
| 3Imp 3 | Punch clip |
| 4Imp 4 | Whistle |
| 1Loc 1 | Ticket desk |
|---|---|
| 2Loc 2 | Maintenance station |
| 3Loc 3 | Staff room |
| 4Loc 4 | Bus bay |