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The horror of the Air India 182 Kanishka tragedy never goes away. Even today, 41 years after the worlds worst Aviation bombing, the families of the Air India 182 Kanishka have been shaken up by the suggestions of the RCMP- Canada to wind down the investigations.
On June 23, 1985, two bombs exploded, one at Narita airport, killing 2 baggage handlers and the other, 54 minutes later, over the Atlantic Ocean 90 miles out to sea from Cork Ireland, killing all 329 people on board, which included 86 children under the age of 13 years.
Orphaned as a teenager losing my entire family at 17, I began the struggle for justice and accountability over the next few decades. As families, we made the trek through tragedy to search for bodies in Cork where I spent 25 days sifting through bodies and body parts in the makeshift morgue to identify our loved ones.
That trauma was revisited every anniversary as no leads were forthcoming. In June 1995, the Canadian government announced a reward of one million dollars for information leading to the arrest of the conspirators, but the fear was so rife amongst the Canadians that not a peep came in.
Delays and the Failed Trial
It took almost 18 years for the charges to be filed in 2000, only for a multi-million-dollar trial to be unable to convict the accused. Witness after witness had either been murdered (In RCMP protection, no less) or had been intimidated beyond the pale or had their kids’ lives threatened and they all developed selective amnesia in the dock. The fact that most of the witnesses were named in “alphabets” – Ms. A, D, E etc. itself indicates the level of secrecy and the witness protection program that never seemed to work with Air India 182 and the Khalistanis.
After the failure of the $140 million dollar trial, the public enquiry headed by retired Supreme Court Justice John C Major, was a breath of fresh air, with secrets of the RCMP and CSIS being exposed, their monumental blunders, the destruction of tape recorded surveillance, investigators watching Parmar and company testing the bomb in the woods of Duncan, the June 1st telex, the dual warnings in 1984 of the plot to bomb Air India, the visit of the US Secret service to Parmar’s residence in British Columbia just before the bombing and so many more redacted facts came to light.
Discriminatory Treatment
The discriminatory attitude of the Canadian system to the victims of the Air India bombing in 1985 was brutally exposed by Justice Major, even in matters of compensation, Indians were ignored and Canadians of Indian origin offered much lower amounts than “westerners”. In an interview with me, this week, retired Justice John C Major expressed his pain over the way Canada had looked at this tragedy with stark contrast of the people of color, vis-à-vis Canadians of Indian origin. Canada continued to treat it as an “Indian problem” he said, and not a “Canadian tragedy.”
CSIS and RCMP Still Don’t Seem to Agree
That attitude became clearer this week, when the families were called for a meeting with the RCMP in Toronto. During the meeting, the Canadian RCMP expressed an intent to wind down the Air India task force to zero investigative staff and only have administrative staff to return the personal effects, as they felt they had no further leads to pursue the investigation to bring the culprits to book.
This admission comes barely months after the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) made a public acknowledgement that Canada Based Khalistani extremists (CBKE) were responsible for the Air India flight 182 bombing on the 41st anniversary on June 23, 2026. So, whilst the left hand (CSIS) was admitting that Khalistani extremists (CBKE) bombed Air India Kanishka, the right hand (RCMP) said they had nothing further to look for?
The RCMP even went so far as to suggest that that if families could provide RCMP with fresh leads, they might then be taken up! Imagine a modern national police force asking the victims’ families for leads in Canadas largest mass murder? We recently saw what happened to the late Nancy Grewal and earlier to late Tara Singh Hayer, in Canada, amongst others who were killed, and it does not inspire confidence in the Canadian police system.
In the interim, the RCMP had informed us that they were communicating with the Indian government for the release of the wreckage and personal effects of victims., indicating that this government and this RCMP has thrown in the towel as far as Air India 182 investigation is concerned.
The Indian government will be acutely aware that Kanishka bombing is a fiercely sensitive subject in India, and Indians the world over, will not accept summary closure of this hunt for the killers. We have written to Prime Minister Modi on his birthday, advising that we families will never accept such a summary closure. The victims’ families, Canadian people and the peace-loving people of the world will never let that happen.
How USA & Isreal Deal with Terrorism
That this RCMP meeting should happen in the shadow of the 25th anniversary of 9-11 is tragic, also especially considering that the second of the 1988 Lockerbie Criminal trials is about to begin in New York in fall 2026, it shows the continued insensitivity of the RCMP and the Canadian government to the Air India 182 Kanishka victims’ families.
The Canadian government, rather than give up the ghost of AI-182, needs to increase the reward and reissue it, with an appeal to all fair-minded Canadians to come forward with any leads or information.
Can anyone imagine the state of the world, had the US thrown in the towel post 911 or post Lockerbie and not hunted down Al-Qaeda and the Libyans? or had Israel not hunted down Klaus Barbie or Franz Stangi, and found the perpetrators of those crimes, some of those hunts took more than 35-42 years.
The world has never forgotten or forgiven its barbaric killers, and hunted them, such as Klaus Barbie (38 years later); Franz Stangi (caught 22 years later); Joseph James DeAngelo (42 years later) Samuel Little (31 years later) amongst others, and justice must be pursued to the ends of the earth.
The AI-182 families have suffered the tragedy of the midair bombing, followed by institutionalized discrimination in Canada, erased and destroyed evidence; murdered witnesses, and delays of 20 years to even bring charges, which resulted in the failure to convict two of the accused in a trial in Vancouver.
Has the RCMP Run out of Ideas?
The suggestion by the RCMP that they had done enough has to appear as fallacious, disdainful and should be treated with the contempt it deserves, as it mocks and gaslights the bereaved families once again. It has been nothing but a litany of mis-steps, mistakes & failed actions that caused families grief over 4 decades.
That this comes at a time with the rise of Canada based Khalistani terror linked separatists in Canada & the rest of the five eyes countries, shows that the RCMP has still not understood the impact of their actions on victims’ families and society as a whole.
If the current RCMP feels that they are not in a position to handle further investigation in the matter then perhaps government must look elsewhere or find fresh investigators who can do so.
Interestingly, during the past week I spoke to some old RCMP hands who had handled Air India case, Justice John Major and Ambassador Bob Rae and CSIS persons and none of them can even believe that this suggestion to shut down the investigation, have even made the light of day at this time.
Where to Find Fresh Leads?
Lest we all forget, there was a long list of persons of interest, against whom no interrogation or questioning had taken place. When asked about the list of Persons of Interest, against whom no interrogation or questioning had taken place, they declined to comment on the “ongoing investigation.” Some former persons of interest have disappeared since long & no visible effort seems to have been made to reach out to them, other than by investigative journalists.
Many ask “What is left to Investigate in Air India 182?” At least two or maybe three of the alleged conspirators are alive but silent. There is also Mr. Bagri, Mr. Reyat and Surjan Singh Gill who can provide a lot of answers. Why has there been no national appeal for them to talk, backed by the Prime Minister of Canada? Why has there been no trial in the death of Tara Singh Hayer, when it is clear that the same group that carried out the aircraft bombing plot, also killed Tara Singh Hayer, to prevent him from testifying.
There are also persons such as Satnam Reyat, Balwant Bhandher, Kulwant Parmar the entire outer circle of trust who could guide or assist with information, in return for an amnesty for them. Why not bring back Ms. E and encourage her to repeat her story and convince them to spill the beans? Maybe we could smuggle in Ms. D in a hat and sunglasses to repeat her truthful testimony, which was disbelieved. There is also Satinderpal Gill, Pary Dulai and Aniljit Uppal, who should have no fear of speaking truth to God, now that Mr. Malik has been murdered by some of the K-gangsters.
What are the RCMP & Canadian government doing with the unspent / unclaimed reward? Why has that not been enhanced and reissued with a national appeal for information, 41 years is a long time for anyone to live with the secrets of the killings of 331 innocents, this could kick off a creative effort to loosen the suspects tongues or at least willing informants across the country.
Air India 182 Kanishka is the worst airline bombing in airline History until today, having killed 331 souls in 2 blasts across the globe and was the worst terror act in North America until 9-11.
Determined to Find the Killers
Twenty years ago, dissatisfied with the direction the criminal trial had taken, the undersigned, AICCA, the pilots, Indian families, many Canadian families had sought individual & separate standing before the Justice John Major commission, and argued their issues separately.
That finally resulted in Justice Majors orders and an attempt to set right the discrimination faced by the families in matters of compensation etc. it is thus surprising that neither the government nor the RCMP have even formally reached out to the other families who had legal & legitimate standing before the Crown enquiry.
We families were assured by former PM Harper that Canada would follow the case until its logical end, that even handed treatment would be given to all (regardless of nationality, color and creed) and that solutions would be found. Then Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, assured that every step would be taken to ensure that the RCMP and CSIS find those responsible and see the case to its logical end, when PM Harper had invited some of the victims’ families (including my lawyers & Ms. S Rana and other families) to his office in Ottawa.
Victims Bill of Rights
I pray and hope that Canada and the RCMP do not belittle the horrific nature of the Air India tragedy, ONCE AGAIN, by shutting it down prematurely. Suffice to say that Canada is duty bound to see the Air India 182 Kanishka investigation to its very conclusion, and bring justice to the 331 victims, their families, and the millions of Canadians and others across India and the world. We await the results of what has been Canadas longest investigation. Surely, we cannot have come so far, only to give up? Or is that the level of efficiency of the existing investigative teams?
The Victims of crimes are globally assured of their legal rights, and similarly the Canadian Victims bill of rights provides that support to the Air India victims. The CVBR and decisions of the Federal Courts Act, the RCMP act and the Justice John Major Commission recommendations, stand in favor of the investigation and the victims’ families.
We have appealed to the Prime Minister of India, the Prime Minister of Canada, the foreign ministers and the Attorney general of British Columbia and the RCMP commissioner to ensure that the investigation is revived in all earnest and killers found.
Given the state of growing Khalistani & other extremism in Canada, North America and the world, we owe it to future generations that the truth is made known, the investigations continue, a renewed push be made with an enhanced reward, and that stronger efforts be made by the Canadian policing and intelligence authorities to find the perpetrators, and ensure that such a travesty of justice does not re-occur and that this investigation is carried through to the very logical end or until all the players are no more alive.
Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in this article/column are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of South Asian Herald.
