Directions (96-100): Study the following information carefully and answer the questions given below.

Nine persons-K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R and S purchase different products one after another but not necessarily in the same order. Three persons purchase products between K and M. R purchase product two persons before M. Two persons purchase product between R and O who purchase product before K. L purchase product just after K. Four persons purchase product between L and Q. The number of persons purchases products before K is same as the number of persons purchase products after Q. P purchase product before S but after M.

Who among the following purchase product at third position when counts from the top?

Correct Option: L

Let us determine the exact purchasing order of the 9 persons (from 1st position at the top to 9th position at the bottom) step-by-step based on the given conditions:

1. "Three persons purchase products between K and M."
2. "R purchase product two persons before M." This means R is placed 2 positions above M (i.e., R, _, M).
3. "Two persons purchase product between R and O who purchase product before K."
4. "L purchase product just after K." So, the position immediately below K is L.
5. "Four persons purchase product between L and Q."
6. "The number of persons purchases products before K is same as the number of persons purchase products after Q."
7. "P purchase product before S but after M." So the relative order is M ... P ... S.

Let us analyze the positions from top (1st) to bottom (9th):

Case analysis for K's position:
- If K is at 2nd position, then 1 person purchases before K. Thus, 1 person must purchase after Q, which means Q is at 8th position.
- If K is at 2nd position, L (just after K) is at 3rd position.
- With L at 3rd position, 4 persons between L and Q puts Q at 8th position (3 + 4 + 1 = 8th position). This completely matches the condition that 1 person is before K and 1 after Q!
- Since 3 persons purchase between K (2nd) and M, M must be at 6th position (2 + 3 + 1 = 6th position).
- Since R purchases two persons before M, R is at 4th position.
- Since two persons purchase between R (4th) and O, and O purchases before K (2nd), O must be at 1st position (4 - 2 - 1 = 1st position).
- Now, M is at 6th position, and we know P purchases after M but before S. The remaining positions are 5th, 7th, and 9th.
- Placing N at 5th position, P at 7th position, and S at 9th position satisfies all conditions!

The complete sequence from 1st (top) to 9th (bottom) is:

1st: O
2nd: K
3rd: L
4th: R
5th: N
6th: M
7th: P
8th: Q
9th: S

Counting from the top, the person at the 3rd position is L.