Question 1
Anita says: 'Kiran took the emerald'
Kiran says: 'I did not take the emerald'
Harsha says: 'Anita is a truth-teller'
Anita says: 'Exactly one of us took the emerald'
Who took the emerald?
Step 1: If Anita is truth-teller, then:
- Kiran took the emerald (from statement 1).
- Exactly one person took the item (from statement 4).
- Kiran says 'I did not take it' - FALSE, so Kiran is liar (consistent).
- Harsha says 'Anita is truth-teller' - TRUE, so Harsha is truth-teller.
This gives: Anita=T, Kiran=L, Harsha=T with Kiran as thief.
Step 2: If Anita is liar, then:
- Kiran did NOT take the item (statement 1 false).
- 'Exactly one person took it' is FALSE → either 0 or 2+ people took it.
- Since Kiran didn't take it, someone else must have.
- Harsha says 'Anita is truth-teller' - FALSE, so Harsha is liar.
- Kiran says 'I did not take it' - TRUE, so Kiran is truth-teller.
- This gives Anita=L, Kiran=T, Harsha=L with no thief identified - INCONSISTENT.
Therefore, the only consistent solution is Kiran took the emerald.
- Kiran took the emerald (from statement 1).
- Exactly one person took the item (from statement 4).
- Kiran says 'I did not take it' - FALSE, so Kiran is liar (consistent).
- Harsha says 'Anita is truth-teller' - TRUE, so Harsha is truth-teller.
This gives: Anita=T, Kiran=L, Harsha=T with Kiran as thief.
Step 2: If Anita is liar, then:
- Kiran did NOT take the item (statement 1 false).
- 'Exactly one person took it' is FALSE → either 0 or 2+ people took it.
- Since Kiran didn't take it, someone else must have.
- Harsha says 'Anita is truth-teller' - FALSE, so Harsha is liar.
- Kiran says 'I did not take it' - TRUE, so Kiran is truth-teller.
- This gives Anita=L, Kiran=T, Harsha=L with no thief identified - INCONSISTENT.
Therefore, the only consistent solution is Kiran took the emerald.