RCMP winds down Air India 1985 bombing investigation

Families of the victims of the 1985 Air India Flight 182 bombing, also known as the ‘Kanishka bombing’, have expressed shock and dismay following news that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) is winding down its investigation. During a meeting in Toronto, investigators informed family members that they have exhausted all available leads and that there are currently no other persons of interest or suspects under consideration.

While the RCMP stated that the investigation remains open and will be pursued if new or credible information emerges, families described the move as a painful surprise after waiting more than four decades for justice. Sanjay Lazar, who lost his parents and sister in the attack, criticized the decision, stating that the investigation should not be abandoned simply because investigators have reached a dead end.

The bombing occurred on June 23, 1985, when a bomb concealed in a suitcase exploded on the aircraft traveling from Toronto to Mumbai. The explosion caused the plane to break apart over the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Ireland, killing all 329 people on board. The incident is regarded as the worst mass murder in Canadian history, with many of the deceased being Canadian citizens.