This Article is From Jun 17, 2010

Kanishka bombing: Chronology of events

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New Delhi: Following is the chronology of major events in the 1985 Air India Kanishka bombing incident:

June 23, 1985: Air India Flight 182 leaves Toronto and explodes near Ireland, killing 329 people, 278 of them Canadians. Less than one hour before the blast, two baggage handlers at Tokyo's Narita airport are killed when a bag explodes as it is being transferred to an Air India flight.

November 8, 1985: Talwinder Singh Parmar and Inderjit Singh Reyat arrested by the Canadian police in connection with bombings. Charges are dropped against Parmar. Reyat is fined for a minor, unrelated charge.

January 22, 1986: Canadian Aviation Safety Board concludes a bomb brought down the jet.

February 1988: Reyat is arrested by police in Coventry, England, where he moved with his wife and children in 1986.

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December 8, 1989: British authorities sign an extradition order for Reyat following a lengthy court battle.

May 10, 1991: Reyat, an electrician from the Vancouver Island community of Duncan, BC, is sentenced to 10 years in prison on manslaughter and explosives charges related to the Narita bombing.

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May 1995: Canadian police offer a USD 1-million reward for help catching the Kanishka bombers.

March 7, 1998: National Parole Board panel denies Reyat early release.

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October 27, 2000: Ajaib Singh Bagri and Ripudaman Singh Malik are arrested and charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder and conspiracy.

June 4, 2001: British government grants permission for Reyat to be charged in Air India blast.

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June 6, 2001: Reyat is charged in Air India Flight 182 bombing just days before his 10-year sentence for his role in the Narita bombing is up. He remains in custody.
February 10, 2003: Reyat pleads guilty to one count of manslaughter and is sentenced to five years.

April 28, 2003: Bagri and Malik are set to go on trial before a judge alone in BC Supreme Court.

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November 2003: Star witness against Malik testifies the accused confessed his involvement in the bombing on at least two occasions.

December 3, 2004: Crown and defence rest in what's come to be called the bloodiest terror case in Canadian history. The trial ranks among the longest and most expensive Canada has ever seen.

March 16, 2005: British Columbia Supreme Court Justice Ian Josephson acquits Malik and Bagri, saying he found the main witnesses in the case not credible.

April 26, 2005: Federal government appoints Bob Rae, the former Ontario premier, to look into whether Ottawa should call a public inquiry into the Air India investigation.

January 6, 2006: Reyat charged with perjury, prosecutors allege he lied 27 times during testimony at the trials of Malik and Bagri.

May 1, 2006: Prime Minister Stephen Harper calls for public inquiry into the Air India bombing, overruling the previous government's decision.

September 25, 2006: Former Supreme Court Justice John Major begins hearing evidence in public inquiry.

February 15, 2008: Major concludes hearings in Air India public inquiry.

July 9, 2008: British Columbia court of appeal grants bail to Reyat, clearing the way for his release from prison.

July 28, 2009: Commission of inquiry says draft of final report is complete.

December 16, 2009: Lawyer says report from public inquiry slated for release in early 2010.

March 4, 2010: Jury selection completed for Reyat perjury trial.

March 8, 2010: Comments from one juror in Reyats perjury trial raise concerns with the presiding judge, who dismisses the entire jury on the first day of the trial.

June 11, 2010: Reyat's perjury trial deferred to September.

June 17, 2010: Kanishka bombing Commission releases report.
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