Canada may scale back 1985 Kanishka bombing probe; victims’ families: A practical reader guide

Canada may scale back 1985 Kanishka bombing probe; victims' families: A practical reader guide

Canadian law enforcement authorities were considering scaling back the probe into the 1985 bombing of Air India ‘Kanishka’ Flight 182 by pro-Khalistan terrorists in which 329 people were killed, the chairman of a group representing the families of the victims has said.

In a letter, the Kanishka Foundation chairman Sanjay Lazar, who lost his parents and sister in the attack, said the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) planned to reduce the task force citing lack of leads to proceed with the probe. The families of the victims were briefed about the future of the probe during a meeting held by RCMP on September 12, according to reports.

“To my utter shock and horror, I learnt that there is a move afoot to abandon the investigations, to reduce the size of the task force, and basically put the AI-182 Kanishka matter into ‘inactive’ status,” Lazar, who is based in Mumbai but travelled to Canada to attend the meeting, said in a letter. He added, “Many family members were distraught at hearing this and naturally the tempers flared and family members broke down.”