Bob Rae Appointed to Review Air India Investigation

On June 25, 1985, Air India flight 182 blew up over the Atlantic Ocean, killing all 329 passengers and crew, in the worst act of terrorism in this county's history. On March 16, 2006 a Vancouver court acquitted Ripudaman Singh Malik and Ajaib Singh Bagri of conspiracy and murder in the bombing.

Having spent nearly 20 years and $130 million on the investigation and trial, many Canadians have questions about the work of the intelligence community, law enforcement, and the criminal justice system. In responding to those concerns, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Anne McLellan has announced that the Honourable Bob Rae will be providing her with independent advice on this matter.

This is a necessary first step towards understanding what questions remain unanswered. Mr. Rae will be interviewing invested parties and government officials to identify outstanding questions of public interest which could be answered today. Mr. Rae is being asked to review the extensive material related to the follow-up to the Air India bombing. This includes:

Best remembered for his tenure as Premier of Ontario in the early ’90s, Mr. Rae is an experienced public servant, a privy councillor, and a former member of the Canada Transportation Act Review and the Security Intelligence Review Committee (SIRC). He has knowledge of the transportation sector, and is someone who has provided advice to governments in the past. Mr. Rae’s advice will ably guide the government in deciding on future steps.