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 timestamped 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)
Evaluating Alibis and Time Constraints
The theft occurred between 10:00 PM and 1:00 AM, but the night guard saw the medallion at 10:30 PM. Given Chitra’s alibi, what is the earliest time she could have reached the museum?
Correct Answer :
12:05 AM
Solution :
The correct answer is 12:05 AM.
Step-by-step Explanation:
1. Analyze Chitra's exit time:
According to the facts provided in the scenario, the timestamped security camera at the downtown graphic design studio shows Chitra exiting the studio at 11:45 PM.
2. Determine travel time:
The facts state that the graphic design studio is a 20-minute drive from the city museum.
3. Calculate the arrival time at the museum:
To find the earliest time Chitra could reach the museum, add the 20-minute travel time to her departure time (11:45 PM):
11:45 PM + 20 minutes = 12:05 AM
Therefore, the earliest time Chitra could have reached the museum is 12:05 AM.
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