Canadian government aware of 1985 Air India bombing plot linked to 329 deaths: Report

The recent surge of anger on social media regarding a 21-year-old report coincides with a significant downturn in India-Canada relations. Tensions escalated after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made unsubstantiated allegations against Indian diplomats, linking them to the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen.

According to a report from the CBC, based on documents released by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Canada’s Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) had a mole named Surjan Singh Gill, who claimed to be the consul-general of Khalistan. The report indicated that Gill was involved from the outset and was allegedly directed by "certain people" to remain engaged and monitor developments. However, Canadian authorities later instructed him to withdraw to avoid any perception of involvement.

Indian High Commissioner to Canada, Sanjay Kumar Varma, highlighted that Gill was told to "get out of there" due to ongoing developments. Sgt. Jim Hunter, speaking to CBC, confirmed this directive, emphasizing that Gill couldn't be seen as part of the unfolding situation.

The CBC report also referenced transcripts from an RCMP interview with Ajaib Singh Bagri, one of the accused in the Air India bombings. Bagri was arrested in October 2000. Gill eventually relocated to London and was never charged in connection with the 1985 bombing of Air India Flight 182, which resulted in the deaths of 329 people off the Irish coast.

Additionally, the report claimed that CSIS had destroyed "hundreds of wiretaps relating to the Air India investigation." Despite this, Canadian law enforcement reiterated earlier this year that the investigation into the Air India bombing, known as Kanishka, remains active and ongoing, contradicting the CBC's findings.

The tragic incident occurred on June 23, 1985, when an Air India flight traveling from Canada to India via London exploded off the coast of Ireland, killing all 329 individuals on board. The explosion was caused by a bomb hidden in a suitcase transferred onto the flight despite the ticket holder not boarding. Among the victims were 268 Canadian citizens, mostly of Indian descent, and 24 Indian nationals, with only 131 bodies recovered from the sea.