Hearings on Kanishka bombing begin

Toronto: The inquiry commission into the 1985 bombing of Air India flight has begun hearing oral submissions including one from the acquitted Ripudaman Singh Malik.

John Major, the head of the Commission looking into one of Canada's worst disaster that claimed 329 lives, began hearings on Wednesday to assess submissions from Malik and 19 others from the families of victims.

Malik's lawyers had argued that he needed to be represented in the hearings to protect his reputation while the other acquitted Ajaib Singh Bagri chose not to apply for the standing.

The only man convicted in the sensational case was Inderjit Singh Reyat on charges of manslaughter. Malik and Bagri were acquitted in a criminal trial last year.

The families of victims will be making a series of 15-minute oral submissions over the course of next two days, testifying about the impact of the tragedy has had on them, a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation report said.

Major has set out terms of the inquiry in June, almost 21 years after the Air India flight 182 exploded off the coast of Ireland.

Once this hearing ends, Major will launch the second phase of the inquiry in September, which includes the questioning of witnesses and submission of documents that trace the bombings and the subsequent investigations.

He is expected to complete his report by September next year.

"The Attorney General's plea has a substantial and direct interest in all aspects of the inquiry and should be granted full standing, through counsel, to give evidence, examine or cross-examine witnesses and make submissions," Barney Brucker, representing the attorney general, submitted before Commission in Ottawa.

Brucker submitted that the inquiry would focus on several government agencies and departments, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and Transport Canada, and would require access to extensive documents within each agency.

Justice Major observed that both CSIS and the RCMP had indicated their full co-operation with the inquiry, which was formally called May 1 after months of lobbying by victims' families in the aftermath of acquittals in the criminal case in March 2005.

The Commission concluded hearing on applications by individuals, groups and agencies who have applied for formal standing at the inquiry.