Families of the victims of the bombing of Air India Flight 182 have been told there are currently no more investigative avenues to pursue and the case will be moving to “inactive status” in a recent meeting with the RCMP, raising new questions about the future of the probe.
For Deepak Khandelwal, who lost his two older sisters in the Air India Flight 182 bombing, the fight for justice has been ongoing for 41 years. He said he was shocked to hear the latest update from the RCMP when he and around 65 other victims’ families met with them.
“This is Canada’s largest mass murder, the worst act of aviation terrorism in the world, other than 9/11, and basically the RCMP is throwing their hands up and saying we can’t do anything about this,” said Khandelwal.
In a statement to OMNI News, the RCMP say there are currently no persons of interest or suspects currently under consideration. The police service added the investigation remains open and if any new or credible information comes forward, it will be investigated.
However, for victims’ families like Khandelwal’s, simply keeping the investigation open is not enough. “By saying that it’s open doesn’t mean that there’s anybody actually working on it. There are no proactive investigative agents assigned to it. There’s no proactive work that’s being done on it,” explained Khandelwal.
On June 23, 1985, a bomb planted inside Air India Flight 182 exploded over the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Ireland, killing all 329 people on board. Of the passengers on board, 286 were Canadian citizens with East Indian origin.
The plane was enroute from Toronto to India via London, carrying mostly Canadians passengers. Another related bombing simultaneously exploded at Japan’s Narita International Airport, instantly killing two baggage handlers.
The trial for two people accused of being apart of the bombing began nearly 18 years later in 2005 and served as the longest and most expensive investigation in Canadian history. The two accused, Ripudaman Singh Malik and Ajaib Singh Bagri, were both found not guilty. Malik was later shot and killed in 2022 outside his business in Surrey, B.C.
An update was also given about the individual, referred to as Mr. X, in connection to the investigation. The RCMP say while they have been identified, no definitive link to the bombing could be established.
The RCMP said last year the suspect died before facing charges, and police would not be releasing his name.
Khandelwal said the families asked for information on Mr. X back in June of 2025, but didn’t receive any update until the Sept. 12 meeting.
The roots of the terrorist attack are connected to the Sikh extremist movement in the aftermath of the 1984 attack on the Golden Temple and the assassination of Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Sikh extremist Talwinder Singh Parmar is known as the “mastermind” behind the Air India bombing. He was a high-profile leader of Babbar Khalsa, a listed terrorist entity both inside Canada and India. After the bombing, Parmar returned to India, and he was killed by Punjab police in 1992.
The only person ever convicted was Inderjit Singh Reyat, who pleaded guilty to one count of manslaughter and a charge linked to the creation of the bomb. He was initially sentenced to 10 years behind bars but later received nine more years for perjury.
Khandelwal states that the passage of time and the deaths of witnesses and potential suspects is further diminishing the chances of achieving justice.
“It’s very unclear that the RCMP has really done any investigative steps since 2005 going forward,” said Khandelwal. He added the families present at the meeting pushed them on what actions have been taken and “they really couldn’t answer the question.”
While the investigation remains open, the affected families argue that merely having an open file is not enough; rather, an active investigation must continue in order to secure answers and accountability in this matter.
“We, as the families, believe that this investigation should continue and be moved into an active status,” said Khandelwal. “We would like them to pursue all angles and there’s definitely investigative angles that are open for them to investigate both of the people responsible and also the broader organization responsible for killing 331 innocent people.”
With files from Dorsa Delara, OMNI News
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