The families of victims of the 1985 Air India Flight 182 bombing, also known as the 'Kanishka bombing', have expressed shock and dismay after being informed by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) that investigators have exhausted available leads and the probe is being wound down. The bombing, which occurred on June 23, 1985, remains one of the darkest chapters in Canada's history, killing all 329 people on board, mostly Canadian citizens.
According to a report by CBC News, the RCMP sent letters to the victims' families announcing the move, but stated that the investigation remains open and any new or credible information will be pursued. The police also said there are currently no other persons of interest or suspects under consideration. A meeting was held in Toronto on September 12, where family members were informed of the development, leaving them deeply distressed.
Sanjay Lazar, who lost his parents and sister in the bombing, expressed his disappointment, stating that families had not been prepared for what they would hear at the meeting. He added that it is not right to abandon the investigation purely because a dead end has been reached. The bombing of Air India Flight 182 is considered the worst mass murder in Canadian history, with investigations and a public inquiry exposing serious failures in Canada's intelligence and security systems.
Despite the scale of the crime, only one person has ever been convicted in connection with the bombing - bomb-maker Inderjit Singh Reyat, who served a 30-year sentence and was released in 2016. Two other men were tried and acquitted in 2005, and one of them, Ripudaman Singh Malik, was shot and killed in 2022. Another suspect was killed in India in 1992. The RCMP's decision to wind down the investigation has left families seeking answers about the bombing that changed their lives.
Rob Alexander, whose father was killed in the explosion, said the September 12 meeting was long overdue because the RCMP had not spoken to the families for years. Around 40 to 50 family members attended the meeting in person, while another 20 or so joined through Zoom. Alexander described the RCMP's decision as a "big slap in the face" to the memories of those who were lost.
The RCMP acknowledged the meeting and stressed that the case has not formally been closed. They stated that family members were provided with an update concerning an individual who had come to the attention of investigators, but no definitive link to the events under investigation could be established. Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree also said that any new information would be reviewed, and efforts to honour the memory of those killed would continue.
Bob Rae, Canada's former ambassador to the United Nations, expressed concern about the RCMP's approach, stating that it was wrong to consider winding down the investigation. He believed it would not help Canada's reputation in India and added that this is the most serious mass crime committed in Canadian history. The families continue to seek answers about the bombing, and the RCMP maintains that the case remains open and credible new information will be investigated.
Key points
- The RCMP has effectively wound down its investigation into the 1985 Air India Flight 182 bombing, despite the case remaining open.
- Families of victims have expressed shock and dismay at the development, after waiting over 40 years for answers.
- The bombing of Air India Flight 182 remains one of the darkest chapters in Canada's history, killing 329 people, mostly Canadian citizens.
