Issue 5 · Case 4 · 29 August 2026
Bombay evening edition · 1996 · Asha D’Costa
The Chembur Master Tape
A singer’s master tape returned to its numbered case under the wrong label in 1996.
REPORT: Chembur, 1996. A singer’s master tape was removed from its numbered case without permission and later returned under the wrong label. The singer is due to collect it, but the shop cannot safely identify or copy the recording. The owner has sealed the duplication deck while four people account for their work around the tape. The singer compared the four accounts with the master-tape label and the recording supplied to the shop. 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 opens one extra table for exam month
The Mahim People’s Reading Room has added an evening table for students with reference books, keeping the children’s corner quiet until closing.
Kabir Sheikh's handling record names two items
Only the Cassette case or the Order pad could have been the item Kabir Sheikh carried.
First local runs under a cloud-heavy morning sky
Commuters carried folded rain covers as a cloud-heavy morning moved across the city; the buses and local trains settled after the first rush.
Listening booth traced to the Order pad record
The carrier of the Order pad visited the Listening booth.
Projection apprentice completes a careful changeover drill
A young cinema apprentice completed a supervised changeover drill using a blank practice reel, with the booth log signed at the end of the shift.
Alka Menon's signed account enters the tally
Alka Menon wrote: “I carried the Rewind key.”
CLASSIFIED
Cassette labels pasted square
Chembur Tape Corner prints song labels, order slips, and master-tape stickers for voices that deserve the right side up.
Hand-painted hoarding class fills its final board
A neighbourhood art class finished a hand-painted cinema hoarding exercise, trading sketches and cassette recommendations after the final brush was washed.
Stock shelf and Cassette case entries do not match
In the cassette shop’s master-tape file, the visitor to the Stock shelf did not carry the Cassette case.
Rain cape found near the evening ticket queue
A plain rain cape is held at the lobby desk for its owner. Please describe the stitched initials without naming them aloud in the crowded foyer.
Ramesh Balan's signed account enters the tally
Ramesh Balan said, “I carried the Label roll.”
CLASSIFIED
Velvet Booth Irani Café serves the interval crowd
Velvet Booth Irani Café offers bun maska, khari biscuits and chai before the next matinee. Cassette covers may be discussed, but the counter remains for orders.
Back room traced to the Rewind key record
Whoever carried the Rewind key visited the Back room.
Churchgate bookstall sends a slim poetry leaflet south
A slim poetry leaflet from a station bookstall turned up beside the cinema noticeboard, one last quiet thread through the season’s Bombay.
Witness tally flags one false claim
In the cassette shop’s master-tape file, three of the four signed statements are true; one is false.
Kabir Sheikh's signed account enters the tally
Kabir Sheikh said, “I visited the Back room.”
Sonia Datar's signed account enters the tally
Sonia Datar signed this account: “I carried the Order pad.”
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.
| 1Sonia Datar | 2Alka Menon | 3Kabir Sheikh | 4Ramesh Balan | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Label roll | ||||
| 2Rewind key | ||||
| 3Order pad | ||||
| 4Cassette case |
| 1Sonia Datar | 2Alka Menon | 3Kabir Sheikh | 4Ramesh Balan | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Listening booth | ||||
| 2Counter | ||||
| 3Back room | ||||
| 4Stock shelf |
| 1Label roll | 2Rewind key | 3Order pad | 4Cassette case | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Listening booth | ||||
| 2Counter | ||||
| 3Back room | ||||
| 4Stock shelf |
File your accusation
Reading your saved case…
Icon key
| 1Sus 1 | Sonia Datar |
|---|---|
| 2Sus 2 | Alka Menon |
| 3Sus 3 | Kabir Sheikh |
| 4Sus 4 | Ramesh Balan |
| 1Imp 1 | Label roll |
|---|---|
| 2Imp 2 | Rewind key |
| 3Imp 3 | Order pad |
| 4Imp 4 | Cassette case |
| 1Loc 1 | Listening booth |
|---|---|
| 2Loc 2 | Counter |
| 3Loc 3 | Back room |
| 4Loc 4 | Stock shelf |