STATE
POLICE
CID
Case File No. 001
ROOM 404
A Murder Mystery
CRIME
BRANCH
FIRST INFORMATION REPORT
GOA STATE POLICE — CRIME INVESTIGATION DEPARTMENT
BRIEF FACTS OF THE CASE:
At approximately 07:38 AM on 14th March 2024, hotel housekeeping staff Sunita Kadam (Emp. ID 1042) knocked on Room 404 for morning service. Receiving no response after two attempts, she used the master key to enter and discovered the deceased — later identified as Karan Mehta, 29, a marketing manager from Mumbai — lying face-down on the bed, unresponsive.
Ms. Sunita immediately alerted Hotel Manager Mr. Vinod D'Souza at the front desk. Emergency services were contacted at 07:42 AM. Goa Police arrived at 07:58 AM. Medical Officer Dr. Anushka Pai pronounced Karan Mehta dead at the scene at 08:15 AM.
The victim's companion, Ms. Priya Mathur, 27, a content strategist from Mumbai, was found seated in the hotel corridor directly outside the room, visibly distressed. She stated she had woken at approximately 07:00 AM, assumed Karan was in deep sleep, and raised the alarm only at 07:30 AM after he failed to respond to her.
⚠ SI Nair: Ms. Mathur cannot account for her whereabouts between 07:00 and 07:30 AM. She says she "stepped out for air" but no CCTV in the corridor confirms any movement during this window.
The room showed no signs of forced entry. The main door was double-locked from inside when housekeeping arrived. A half-finished bottle of Old Monk whisky (approx. 180ml remaining) and two glasses were recovered from the bedside table. One glass bore clear lipstick residue matching Ms. Mathur's lip colour.
Initial on-site examination revealed no external injuries. However, Dr. Anushka Pai noted faint cyanosis (bluish discolouration) on the victim's lips and fingertips — a finding inconsistent with natural cardiac death. The body has been transferred to Goa Medical College for post-mortem. Toxicology report is pending.
Guest Registration Record — Original Copy (Police Seized)
VALID: 13 – 15 MARCH 2024
KEY #1 → KARAN (Primary)
KEY #2 → PRIYA (Secondary)
MASTER OVERRIDE: ENABLED
| Timestamp | Card Used | Event | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Mar — 14:18 | Key #1 (Karan) | UNLOCK | Check-in — both guests observed by front desk |
| 13 Mar — 14:22 | Key #2 (Priya) | UNLOCK TEST | Staff issued & tested secondary key at door |
| 13 Mar — 19:44 | Key #1 (Karan) | UNLOCK | Couple returning after evening out |
| 13 Mar — 19:47 | — | DOUBLE-LOCK (deadbolt) | Deadbolt engaged from inside |
| 13 Mar — 23:49 | Key #2 (Priya) | UNLOCK | ⚠ Door opened from outside — Key #2 |
| 13 Mar — 23:51 | — | DOUBLE-LOCK (deadbolt) | ⚠ Re-deadbolted 2 minutes later |
| 14 Mar — 07:38 | Master Key | UNLOCK | Housekeeping entry — body discovered |
⚠ SI Nair: Key #2 was assigned to and in the possession of Priya Mathur. The 23:49 unlock means she left the room after Karan was already asleep — and returned 2 minutes later. She has denied leaving the room at any point after 19:47. What was she doing outside at 23:49 for exactly 2 minutes?
[Transcribed by forensics — see below]
⚠ SI Nair: Priya received and played the voice note at 22:47. She sent no reply. She made no call. The next event on the key card log is the 23:49 unlock — her key, from outside the room — exactly 62 minutes after she heard Karan's confession. What did she do in that hour?
POST-MORTEM EXAMINATION REPORT
GOA MEDICAL COLLEGE & HOSPITAL — FORENSIC MEDICINE DEPT.
Ref: GMC-FM-2024-0892 · Conducted by: Dr. Suresh Pillai, MD (Forensic Medicine)
External Examination
Well-nourished adult male. No signs of blunt trauma, bruising, or struggle. Skin pale with positional livor mortis consistent with found position (face-down). Cyanosis (bluish discolouration) clearly present on lips and fingernail beds. No defensive wounds on hands or forearms. No puncture marks or signs of injection anywhere on the body.
Internal Examination
Mild pulmonary oedema (fluid accumulation in lungs) observed bilaterally — consistent with respiratory depression. Heart structurally normal; no prior cardiac disease or hypertrophy. Stomach contents: partially digested food and approximately 180ml of liquid with strong alcoholic odour. Liver: healthy, no cirrhosis.
Toxicology — Blood & Gastric Fluid Analysis
| Substance | Sample Type | Result | Clinical Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ethanol (Alcohol) | Blood | 0.09% BAC | Moderate intoxication — consistent with 3–4 drinks |
| Alprazolam (Benzodiazepine) | Blood + Gastric | POSITIVE — 2.4 mg/L | ⚠ Potentially fatal in combination with alcohol (lethal range: 1.5–3.0 mg/L) |
| Diazepam / Other Benzos | Blood | Negative | — |
| Narcotics Panel (full) | Blood | Negative | — |
| Paracetamol | Gastric | Trace (normal) | Within safe limits |
Cause of Death — Final Opinion
Respiratory depression and cardiopulmonary arrest due to combined Alprazolam and alcohol toxicity.
The Alprazolam level of 2.4 mg/L, combined with the alcohol present, would have caused progressive central nervous system depression — first deep sedation, then cessation of the respiratory drive. Death would have been silent and rapid, occurring during sleep with no convulsions and no struggle.
Manner of Death: HOMICIDE (suspected). Karan Mehta had no Alprazolam prescription. No pill packet or personal medication was found in the room. The quantity detected is far in excess of incidental exposure. The substance was most likely crushed and dissolved into the victim's drink without his knowledge.
Goa Medical College, Panaji
Submitted to SI Ramesh Nair
Calangute Police Station
⚠ SI Nair: Alprazolam is a prescription-only benzodiazepine, commonly prescribed for anxiety and panic disorder. Priya Mathur has a documented history of anxiety treatment — her GP in Mumbai confirmed a standing Alprazolam prescription (0.5mg tablets, last renewed February 2024). She would know exactly what a high dose in alcohol would do.
SUSPECT PROFILES
Three individuals with motive, means, or opportunity — or all three.
PRIYA MATHUR
"I woke up around 7 AM. Karan was still sleeping. I freshened up, stepped out briefly for some fresh air, came back, and when he still wasn't up by 7:30 I tried to wake him. He wasn't responding. I got scared and called housekeeping immediately."
• At 22:47 she received Karan's voice note confessing his 4-month affair with Neha — her own college friend. She sent no reply.
• Key card log shows her key used at 23:49 to exit — exactly 62 minutes after the voice note. She was outside for 2 minutes, returned, re-deadbolted.
• She holds an active Alprazolam prescription (0.5mg, last renewed Feb 2024). No pills found in the room.
• Neha had warned Karan: "She once told me if a man ever betrays me, she'll make sure he doesn't get to walk away."
NEHA SINGH
"Karan and I had been talking. He told me he was going to come clean to Priya in Goa. I was worried. I texted him that night but he never replied. I have nothing to do with what happened."
• Mobile tower data places her in Mumbai the entire night — alibi holds geographically.
• She was the one who warned Karan about Priya's threat — raising the question of whether she believed it herself.
• She also has an Alprazolam prescription (anxiety, confirmed). But she was not in Goa.
• No motive to kill Karan — she wanted to be with him.
VINOD D'SOUZA
"I run this hotel. I have nothing against any guest. I was doing accounts that night. I found out about the death when Sunita called me at 7:38 in the morning."
• CCTV confirms him at the front desk at 23:40 — 9 minutes before the key event. He did not go to the 4th floor.
• He personally delivered the Old Monk bottle to Room 404 at 22:30 — explained by staff shift timing.
• No motive identified. No connection to Karan or Priya. Financial records clean.
• Cleared by CCTV footage and absence of motive.
DETECTIVE'S CLUE BOARD
All evidence is in front of you. Connect the dots. One killer. One answer.
YOUR TASK
You have the confession timeline. You have the key card log. You have the toxicology. You have the motive, the means, and the opportunity — all pointing to one person.
Head to the Solve It tab when you're ready to submit your verdict.
The Court of
Justice S.K. Varma
You stand before the Honourable Justice S.K. Varma. You have studied the case file. You will now present your argument. The judge will cross-examine you. He does not give you answers — he tears apart weak logic. Convince him, and he will deliver judgment. Fail, and the case is dismissed.
Valid codes: DEMO · R404X · ROOM404 · CRIMEKIT · SOLVE01