Reyat released from Canadian prison

Toronto, January 27

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Inderjit Singh Reyat, the lone person convicted for the 1985 Air India Kanishka bombing that killed all 329 people on board, was today released from prison in Canada after serving two decades behind bars.

Reyat was convicted of perjury in 2010 for lying to the court in 2003 during the trial of Ripudaman Singh Malik and Ajaib Singh Bagri, who were acquitted in the terrorist attack. The flight was operating on the Montreal, Canada-London, UK-Delhi, India route.

A spokesperson for the Parole Board of Canada confirmed Reyat's statutory release after serving two-thirds of a nine-year sentence for his involvement in one of the deadliest airline attacks in history.

A mechanic who migrated from Punjab, Reyat bought the dynamite, detonators and batteries that took the lives of 329 passengers on Air India's Flight 182, which exploded over the coast of Ireland on its way to Heathrow Airport in London.

The second exploded at Japan’s Narita airport, killing two baggage handlers as they transferred cargo.

In 1991, Reyat was convicted of manslaughter in the deaths of two baggage handlers. He served 10 years for that crime. He also got five years for another manslaughter charge in the Air India bombing. Reyat further got nine years for perjury.

A Parole Board of Canada officer said Reyat had reached his statutory release date. He has been ordered to abide by several conditions, including having no contact with victims’ families. The conditions will apply until the end of Reyat's sentence in 2018. — PTI