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Probe into 1985 Kanishka Bombing ‘active and ongoing' : Canadian police
“The Air India investigation is the longest and certainly one of the most complex domestic terrorism investigations that the RCMP has undertaken in our history”, Dave Teboul said
Air India memorial / Image- RCMP
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have reiterated their commitment to the investigation of the Air India Flight 182 bombing, stating that the probe remains “active and ongoing.”
Their comment comes as the tragic event that claimed the lives of all 329 people aboard the Montreal-New Delhi flight, most of whom were Canadians of Indian descent, approaches its 39th anniversary.
In a statement, Dave Teboul, Pacific Region Commander, Federal Policing RCMP, highlighted the significance of this case. “The Air India investigation is the longest and certainly one of the most complex domestic terrorism investigations that the RCMP has undertaken in our history.”
“Our investigative efforts remain active and ongoing,” said Teboul. He extended the RCMP’s deepest sympathies to the victims' families, acknowledging the enduring trauma inflicted by the bombing.
The catastrophic event, attributed to Sikh militants retaliating against Operation Bluestar in 1984, stands as Canada’s deadliest act of terrorism. The Kanishka Flight 182 was en route to London’s Heathrow Airport when it exploded mid-air, 45 minutes before its scheduled landing.
“June.23 is the National Day of Remembrance for Victims of Terrorism. Thirty-nine years back, on this day, Air India Flight 182 was blown up mid-air from a bomb planted by Canadian Khalistani extremists,” Chandra Arya, an Indian-origin Canadian Member of Parliament said in the house.
Arya's remarks in Parliament underscored the persistence of extremist ideologies responsible for the attack and their presence within a minority in Canada.
The upcoming 39th anniversary will be commemorated through memorial services across the nation, including at Stanley Park's Ceperley Playground area in Vancouver, Commissioner’s Park in Ottawa, Queen’s Park in Toronto, and Monk Island in Montreal. The Indian consulates in Vancouver and Toronto have also planned memorial services to honor the victims.
The memorials will offer an opportunity for Canadians to pay their respects. “At the memorials, previous and current employees from the investigation and our greater organization, past and present, will ensure we remember those lost and those left to deal with the unthinkable. We encourage you to do the same in private or at the memorials in Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa,” added Teboul.
This year’s remembrance comes at a time of strained diplomatic relations between New Delhi and Ottawa, exacerbated by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's accusations last September regarding the "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent Khalistani activist.
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