A memorial honouring the victims of the bombing of Air India Flight 182, at Stanley Park in Vancouver, Canada.
| Photo Credit: AP

Investigations into the bombing of the Air India Flight 182 remain “active and ongoing”, the Canadian police have said, ahead of the deadly bombing’s 39th anniversary memorial.

The Montreal-New Delhi Air India ‘Kanishka’ Flight 182 exploded 45 minutes before it was to have landed at London’s Heathrow Airport on June 23, 1985, killing all 329 people on board, most of them Canadians of Indian descent. The bombing was said to have been executed by Sikh militants in retaliation for ‘Operation Bluestar’ undertaken by the Indian Army in 1984 to flush out militants from the Golden Temple.

In a statement on Friday, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Assistant Commissioner David Teboul called the bombing the “greatest terror-related loss of life involving and affecting Canadians” in the country’s history as he offered “deepest sympathies, understanding and support to the families of the victims”.

“The Air India investigation is the longest and certainly one of the most complex domestic terrorism investigations that the RCMP has undertaken in our history,” Mr. Teboul said. “Our investigative efforts remain active and ongoing,” he said.

Asserting that the impact of the bombing had “not diminished with time”, he said the trauma it caused had impacted generations. “We must never forget those innocent lives lost to this tragedy and other acts of terrorism,” he said.

Noting that this year marks the 39th anniversary memorial of the bombing, he said: “At the memorials, previous and current employees from the investigation and our greater organisation, past and present, will ensure we remember those lost and those left to deal with the unthinkable.”

“Over the years, attending the memorials has been an opportunity to pay our respects to the victims and their families and show our appreciation for all those that did so much to respond to and investigate the tragedy,” he said, encouraging people to do the same in private or at the memorials in Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa.

India’s consulates in Vancouver and Toronto have planned a memorial service to mark the anniversary of the bombing.

A memorial is scheduled on June 23 at the Air India Memorial at Stanley Park’s Ceperley Playground area in Vancouver. Another memorial service is scheduled at South Lawn, Queen’s Park, Toronto.

Karnataka JD(S) MLA H.D. Revanna being taken into custody by officials of a Special Investigation Team in a kidnapping case, on May 4, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI

H.D. Revanna arrested from father Deve Gowda’s residence in abduction case

Former Karnataka Minister and Holenarsipura MLA H. D. Revanna was arrested from his father and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda’s residence in Padmanabha Nagar on May 4 at 6.45 p.m. The arrest came minutes after his anticipatory bail plea was rejected by the Special Court for Elected Representatives, Bengaluru. 

One soldier killed, four injured in terror attack on IAF convoy in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch

A soldier was killed and four were injured when militants ambushed a convoy of the Indian Air Force (IAF) in Poonch on May 4. The IAF said the Air Warriors fought back by returning fire.

Sadiq Khan wins a historic third term as London Mayor; Tories suffer major defeats in local elections

The Labour Party’s Sadiq Khan won a record third term as London’s Mayor despite predictions that a low voter turnout of 40.5% in the May 2 election would harm him. With the last mayoral constituency declaring results late afternoon on Saturday, Mr. Khan easily won, with a 43.8% vote share compared to his main opponent, the Conservative Party’s Susan Hall, who came in with 32.7% of the vote.

India awaiting details about the arrest of three Indians in Canada in Nijjar murder case, says Jaishankar

India is waiting for details about the arrest of three Indians linked to the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said on Saturday.

Centre lifts onion export ban, but conditions apply

The Centre on Saturday lifted the prohibition on onion exports imposed nearly six months ago, but restrained the free flow of outbound shipments by stipulating a minimum export price of $550 per tonne as well as a 40% export duty.

In mission to trigger review of State OBC lists, NCBC hits a wall of absent socio-economic data

For the last one year or so, the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC), under the chairmanship of former Union Minister Hansraj Gangaram Ahir, has been focused on triggering a pruning of State OBC lists in a bid to re-evaluate the continued inclusion of communities that might have progressed due to years of accruing benefits. 

Congress will ‘support cow killing’, impose Aurangzeb’s ‘jizya tax’, Yogi Adityanath says in Madhya Pradesh

The Congress wants to “implement Aurangzeb’s jizya tax” and also “support cow killing” as the party has become “directionless”, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and BJP leader Yogi Adityanath alleged on Saturday in Madhya Pradesh. 

BJP, JD(S) believe their alliance will survive the Prajwal ‘sexual abuse’ case

In the midst of the Parliamentary election, the sexual exploitation case allegedly involving the incumbent Hassan MP and Janata Dal (Secular) candidate Prajwal Revanna has brought the focus on the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Karnataka of which the JD(S) is a part.

RCB vs GT | Skipper du Plessis and pacers do it for Royal Challengers against Titans

An authoritative Royal Challengers Bengaluru shut down Gujarat Titans by four wickets at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday. A third win in a row pushed RCB to seventh on the points table, providing impetus to its playoff hopes.

Opposition should find issues against us that actually stick: Hardeep Singh Puri

The Prime Minister and the RSS chief have affirmed their support for reservations, says Hardeep Singh Puri, adding that the BJP-led NDA has done more for the SCs, STs, and OBCs than the previous governments. It is for the first time that a tribal person has become the country’s first citizen, he tells The Hindu.

The Supreme Court forewarned the ED that it may “consider” granting interim bail to Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in the excise policy case due to the ongoing Lok Sabha election. File photo
| Photo Credit: PTI

Hardeep Singh Nijjar killing | Canadian Police arrest members of ‘hit squad’

The Canadian police on May 3 arrested three members of an alleged hit squad investigators in Ottawa believe was tasked by the Government of India with the killing of Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey in 2023, according to a media report. The ties between India and Canada came under severe strain following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations in September in 2023 of the “potential” involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Nijjar.

Top wrestlers criticise Brij Bhushan’s son getting BJP ticket for Lok Sabha polls

Top Olympic wrestlers have criticised BJP for fielding the son of their former federation chief in national elections, despite his father being charged with sexually harassing female wrestlers. Scores of wrestlers came out in protest last year seeking criminal action against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, a BJP MP.

We may consider interim bail for Kejriwal due to polls, Supreme Court tells Enforcement Directorate

The Supreme Court forewarned the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday that it may “consider” granting interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the excise policy case due to the ongoing Lok Sabha election. “Let me make it clear, we may consider interim bail because of elections,” Justice Sanjiv Khanna informed Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju, appearing for the ED. 

India press freedom score falls, says Reporters sans Frontieres

India’s score in the World Press Freedom Index fell over the last year, from 36.62 to 31.28, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF for Reporters sans Frontières), which puts together an annual index of freedom enjoyed by journalists in 180 jurisdictions. India’s rank improved from 161 in 2023 to 159 in 2024, but this was because other countries had slipped in their rankings. The government has in the past dismissed international rankings of freedoms in India as propaganda.

Manipur groups mark one year of conflict with cry for peace, justice

Both Kuki-Zo and Meitei groups on Friday held events across Manipur and in Delhi’s Jantar Mantar to mark one year since the beginning of the ongoing ethnic conflict in Manipurbetween the two communities, with several Kuki-Zo and Meitei organisations calling for peace and making their case before the Centre.  

BJP should answer allegations of harassment against Governor: CM Mamata Banerjee

The tears of the woman who levelled allegations of sexual assault against West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose were heart-breaking, the State’s Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on May 3. “Yesterday, a young woman who worked at Raj Bhavan came out and spoke against the Governor’s harassment… Yesterday, the tears of the woman broke my heart,” the Chief Minister said at an election rally, adding that she has seen the woman’s video testimony. 

India, Indonesia agree to enhance collaboration in defence industry, maritime security

India and Indonesia on Friday agreed to enhance collaboration in areas of defence industry, maritime security and multilateral cooperation at the seventh India-Indonesia Joint Defence Cooperation Committee meeting held in New Delhi. It was chaired by Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane and Secretary-General of Indonesia’s Ministry of Defence Air Marshal Donny Ermawan Taufanto.

Pakistan imposes restrictions on movement of Chinese nationals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after recent attack

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government in Pakistan has implemented measures requiring Chinese citizens to travel with armoured vehicles while in the region, Dawnreported. This decision was disclosed by a senior police official during a meeting held on May 1. 

China launches lunar probe mission to collect samples for first time from far side of moon

China on May 3 launched a lunar probe mission to collect samples for the first time from the far side of the moon and bring them to Earth for scientific studies. The Chang’e-6 mission is tasked with collecting and then returning samples from the moon’s far side to Earth — the first endeavour of its kind in the history of human lunar exploration, China National Space Administration (CNSA) said.

IPL-17: MI vs KKR | Venkatesh and Pandey’s partnership proves the difference as Knight Riders edge Mumbai Indians

Dominate the middle overs and win the match. That seems to be the flavour of the Indian Premier League this season. The same was on display at the Wankhede Stadium on Friday as the Kolkata Knight Riders clinched a convincing win despite having its back to the wall early on in the game.

Twenty20 World Cup West Indies squad | Rovman Powell to lead, rookie Shamar called in

Rajasthan Royals power-hitter Rovman Powell will lead a strong West Indies squad, filled with some of the world’s best franchise freelancers, in the upcoming T20 World Cup in the Americas. One of the prominent names included is rookie pace sensation Shamar Joseph, who is a part of Lucknow Super Giants in this edition of IPL.

Montreal, Canada:

Two people were killed and six others wounded late Saturday in a shooting in the parking lot of a reception venue in Ottawa, authorities said.

Two weddings were taking place at the venue when gunfire erupted outside, sending shocked guests scrambling for safety.

“It was chaos, there was no general direction of where people were running, it was just everywhere,” Nico, who came to the wedding to pick up his friend, told AFP, declining to give his surname.

“It was rapid shots, and then there was screaming, and then there was a pause, and then there were more shots, probably like 15-16 more shots that I can recall,” Nico said.

The shooting began at 10:21 pm Saturday (0221 GMT Sunday) in the parking lot of a south-end convention hall where two separate wedding receptions were being held simultaneously.

Police “said to stay in our vehicles. We could not leave the scene,” the witness said.

Ottawa police confirmed that fatalities were of two men, aged 26 and 29, both from Toronto, Canada’s largest city.

Police said that Americans were among the six wounded but that their lives were not in danger. Their identities were not released.

“We are in the process of connecting the pieces of the puzzle,” Martin Groulx, police inspector, told AFP about the ongoing investigation.

He said police had no sign for now to suggest the shooting was a hate crime “related to race or religious beliefs.”

“But we do not eliminate this option,” he added, specifying that the investigation had yet to determine a motive.

As of Sunday afternoon, no arrests had been made.

The two deaths from the shooting bring to 12 the number of homicides recorded in 2023 in Ottawa, Canada’s capital, which has a population of about one million.

Several Canadian cities have seen a marked increase in armed violence in recent years with increasingly frequent shootings, according to the Canadian government.

Since 2009, the country has seen an 81 percent increase in violent gun crime.

 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)