On the night of October 12th, the "Sunburst Medallion" was stolen from the highly secured display case in the city museum. The theft occurred sometime between the museum closing at 10:00 PM and the night guard, Mr. Hemant, completing his final round at 1:00 AM.Three primary suspects were identified, all of whom had recently been dismissed from their museum positions: Anjali, the former curator; Bharat, the former security expert; and Chitra, the former exhibits designer. Here are the established facts and their alibis: * The security system logs show that the display case was opened using a specific five-digit code, which only Anjali and the museum director (who was out of the country) knew. * Bharat's alibi is that he was at a distant relative's birthday party from 8:00 PM to 1:30 AM. Multiple independent witnesses confirmed his presence throughout the entire period. * Chitra's alibi is that she was working late at a downtown graphic design studio. A time-stamped security camera from the studio's entrance shows her entering at 7:00 PM and exiting at 11:45 PM. The studio is a 20-minute drive from the museum. * Mr. Hemant, the night guard, stated he checked the medallion at 10:30 PM, and it was still there. Further investigation revealed that a small, distinctive silver button was found near the display case. Anjali is known to frequently wear a coat with similar unique silver buttons. The security expert, Bharat, had previously boasted that he could remotely disable a certain type of magnetic lock-the same type used on the medallion's case-without needing the code, though the log suggests the code was used. (269 words)
Deduction and Contradictory Evidence If the theft was committed by Bharat, which established fact must be incorrect, based on the provided information?
To determine which established fact must be incorrect if Bharat committed the theft, let's evaluate each option in the context of the given information:
- The medallion was present at 10:30 PM: According to Mr. Hemant, the night guard, he checked the medallion at 10:30 PM and confirmed it was still there. If Bharat committed the theft, this statement would have to be incorrect, as he would need to have stolen it before Mr. Hemant's check.
- The security logs indicating the code was used: The logs show that the display case was opened using a specific five-digit code. Bharat, who claimed he could disable the magnetic lock without the code, would not have needed to use the code, suggesting that Anjali might have been involved with this detail. Hence, this fact could still be true, even if Bharat was the thief.
- The museum closing time of 10:00 PM: The museum closing time is a static fact and is unlikely to be incorrect in the context of the theft. It's a foundational detail of the scenario provided.
- The time frame of his alibi (8:00 PM to 1:30 AM): Bharat's alibi has been confirmed by multiple independent witnesses who verified his presence at a relative’s party. If this alibi timeline is true, Bharat couldn’t have physically stolen the medallion during this period.
Given these evaluations, if Bharat is indeed the thief, the most likely incorrect established fact is that "The medallion was present at 10:30 PM." This is because, for him to have committed the theft, the medallion couldn't be there when Mr. Hemant checked.
Therefore, the established fact that must be incorrect, if Bharat committed the theft, is:
Similar Questions
- The narrator and his kinsman's initial impression of the "unusual man" highlights which theme most strongly?
Analyzing Accessory Evidence
The discovery of the silver button near the display case is the most incriminating evidence against which suspect, and why?
(A) Bharat, because he had the technical expertise to get close to the case
(B) Chitra, because she was near the museum late that night
(C) Anjali, because she is known to wear a coat with similar buttons
(D) Mr. Hemant, as he was the last person to check the area
- The main idea of the passage is-
Important Questions from Analytical Reasoning
- The narrator and his kinsman's initial impression of the "unusual man" highlights which theme most strongly?
Analyzing Accessory Evidence
The discovery of the silver button near the display case is the most incriminating evidence against which suspect, and why?
(A) Bharat, because he had the technical expertise to get close to the case
(B) Chitra, because she was near the museum late that night
(C) Anjali, because she is known to wear a coat with similar buttons
(D) Mr. Hemant, as he was the last person to check the area
- The main idea of the passage is-
