Key witness in the 26/11 case goes 'missing'

The witness, Nurudin Shaikh, on Thursday told the court that the accused -- Faheem and Sabauddin -- had met him in Nepal and in his presence they discussed about the maps of some locations in Mumbai, which were later targeted by militants during the November 26 attacks last year.

The court had called the witness on Friday for cross-examination at 11 AM but he failed to turn up.

Special public prosecutor Ujjawal Nikam told the court that crime branch officials had gone to Goregaon residence of the witness to fetch him but his wife had said that Shaikh had left home early morning, saying that he has to go to the court.

"This is a serious matter," judge M L Tahaliyani observed and said he would decide later on what steps the court should take in the matter.

Nikam also said that the identity of the witness had been kept secret earlier and was disclosed to the defence lawyer only on Thursday for cross-examination.

According to crime branch, the witness is a childhood friend of Faheem and is staying in the same locality where Fahim stayed in the city.

Faheem and Sabauddin, both Indian nationals, are facing trial along with Pakistani national Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab.

Shaikh on Thursday had told the court that maps of some locations in Mumbai were made by the duo at the instance of wanted accused Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi.

Shaikh had gone on a holiday in February 2008 to Nepal where he met his childhood friend Faheem in a market, the witness said. Faheem then took him to his guest house for a chat, the court was told.

Faheem , however, disputed the version of the witness that he was his childhood friend and said he had never met Shaikh before.

The case of the prosecution is that Pakistan-based Lakhvi, chief of LeT operations, was one of the masterminds of 26/11 terror attacks.

On the instructions of LeT, Faheem had drawn maps by hand after conducting a recee and these were handed over to Sabauddin who in turn gave them to 26/11 conspirators.