RCMP has pulled resources from Air India bombing investigation, victims’ families say

RCMP has pulled resources from Air India bombing investigation, victims’ families say MATTHEW SCACE PUBLISHED 25 MINUTES AGO Open this photo in gallery: Deepak Khandelwal lays flowers as he visits the Air India Flight 182 Memorial in Toronto. SAMMY KOGAN/THE GLOBE AND MAIL COMMENTS SHARE SAVE FOR LATER Listen to this article Learn more about audio Log in or create a free account to listen to this article. The head of the group that represents the families of the victims of the 1985 Air India bombing says the RCMP has pulled back resources dedicated to investigating the deadliest terrorist attack in Canadian history. Deepak Khandelwal, whose two siblings, Chandra and Manju, died in the bombing, said the RCMP told victims’ families in a Sept. 12 meeting in Toronto that investigators had exhausted all angles, and the investigation is considered “inactive.” Only one person was ever convicted in connection with the bombing, bomb maker Inderjit Singh Reyat, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in 2003. Trials for two British Columbia men allegedly tied to the explosion ended in acquittals. Families of Air India victims still waiting for Ottawa to release the wreckage Mr. Khandelwal said in an interview that he is “disappointed, angry, upset.” “But not surprised, because they have let us down for 41 years, and this is just the next step in it.” Federal Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said in a statement to The Globe and Mail that the RCMP have told Ottawa that the investigation “remains open.” “This is not a closed matter. Should new, credible information or evidence come forward, it will be assessed and investigated and may lead to further investigative steps,” Mr. Anandasangaree said. His office did not immediately respond to follow-up questions asking for specifics on what resources remain actively committed to the investigation. The RCMP did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Mr. Khandelwal was a first-year university student from Saskatoon when he flew across the Atlantic with his father to identify the bodies of his older sisters. He is now head of the Air India Flight 182 Victims Families Association. “They don’t close a file, but inactive means there’s no resources assigned to it,” he said of the RCMP. Since the meeting with police earlier this month, families of some victims have sent letters to Prime Minister Mark Carney and the RCMP accusing investigators of failing to look into every possibility. Sudha Berry,…