The prosecution in the 26/11 case on Tuesday filed a report on a witness who has been untraceable for the last three months. The witness, a Nepali national, had allegedly met accused Faheem Ansari in a guesthouse at Kathmandu, where Ansari is believed to have handed over maps of Mumbai to co-accused Sabauddin.

In the report filed in the special court, police inspector Prashant Marde states that Bharat Thakur, an autorickshaw driver in the city, has been missing for the past three months. Thakur’s testimony is important as he had been named by another witness, Nooruddin Shaikh, during deposition. Shaikh had told the court earlier that he and Thakur had gone to Nepal in January 2008. Thakur, as per Shaikh’s testimony, had fallen sick and told him to proceed to Kathmandu. Shaikh had told the court that he met Ansari there and was present when Ansari handed over the maps to Sabauddin at the guesthouse.

Incidentally, even Shaikh had gone missing the day he was supposed to depose. Shaikh had later appeared in court and explained that he was taken ill and had stayed over at a friend’s place for a day.

The prosecution claims that the maps were used by the Pakistani gunmen during the terror attack and that one such map was found in a pocket of Ajmal Kasab’s slain accomplice Abu Ismail’s trousers.

Another witness, Lisa Ringner, whose phone was used by gunmen at Hotel Oberoi, is expected to depose on Wednesday. Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam informed the court that Ringner was reluctant in appearing before the court but relented after police spoke to her lawyer.