Mixed Reviews of recent Air India Inquiry Decision

Ottawa – October 29, 2007. The World Sikh Organization of Canada (WSO) receives today’s decision on its applications to the Air India Inquiry with mixed feelings. 

WSO is pleased that the Commissioner has agreed to broaden WSO's intervenor status, based on its “demonstrated expertise.”  WSO is also pleased that the Commissioner has allowed WSO’s Senior Policy Advisor, Mr. Gian Singh Sandhu to submit affidavit evidence in order to respond to remarks negatively affecting his reputation. 

However, WSO is concerned that leave to call Mr. Zuhair Kashmeri or Mr. David Kilgour as witnesses to this Inquiry has been denied. These two witnesses have critical information which goes to the question of what went wrong in the investigation of the Air India bombing, and why, 22 years later, the case still remains unsolved.  WSO hopes that by agreeing to call Mr. Gary Bass as a witness, the Commission counsel will put to him his concerns about the lack of investigation of the Indian Government's involvement in the bombing of Air India.  This is critical information which the WSO feels, needs to be brought before the Commission. 

WSO believe that leave to cross-examine witnesses, and to call this additional evidence, would have served the broader public interest. However, given WSO’s expanded intervenor status at the Inquiry, it will continue to do its best to protect the reputational interests of Sikh Canadians and press for the truth about the Air India Tragedy to come forward.

For more information, please contact Maj(retd.) Jasbeer Singh, Media Relations, Tel. 780-457-3333, Cell. 780-235-6000, email: [email protected]

Or

Amanpreet Singh Bal, Tel. 905-567-1795, Cel. 647-224-0000, email: [email protected]