Ottawa, September 21, 2006 The Inquiry into the Investigation of the Bombing of Air India Flight 182 will begin hearing evidence on September 25, 2006.
Stage One of the hearings will include statements and personal accounts from the families of the victims, and
Irish and English rescuers who were involved in the recovery efforts immediately after the bombing in June
1985. A preliminary list of witnesses for the first week of the hearings is attached. Updated witness lists will
be posted on the Commission's website as they become available. The initial stage of the hearings is expected
to last up to three weeks.
Stage Two of the hearings will begin on November 6, 2006. It will address a variety of issues including an
assessment of the level of awareness by Canadian officials of the potential threats posed by Sikh extremism
prior to 1985; the relationship between the RCMP and CSIS in 1985 and now, and their respective roles with
respect to threats to Canada's security; special issues in the conduct of terrorism trials; aviation security; and
terrorist financing. Stage Two is expected to conclude in April 2007.
The Commissioner has appointed Laura Snowball as Commission Secretary and Special Counsel to the
Commissioner. Ms. Snowball is with the Calgary law firm Burnet, Duckworth & Palmer LLP. She recently
served as Special Counsel to the Commissioner on the Commission of Inquiry into the Sponsorship Program
and Advertising Activities.
Event: Public Hearings of the Commission of Inquiry into the
Investigation of the Bombing of Air India Flight 182
Date: Monday, September 25, 2006
Time: 9:30 am, EDT
Location: Victoria Hall, 111 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario
The Commission of Inquiry was established by Prime Minister Harper on May 1, 2006, to provide a report on
the events surrounding the bombing of Air India Flight 182. All of the 329 people on board the aircraft died
when it exploded over the Atlantic Ocean on June 23, 1985. Eighty-two of the victims were children and 280
were Canadian citizens.
The Honourable John C. Major will preside over the hearings.
Preliminary List of witnesses for the week of September 25:
Bal Gupta
Lata Pada
Satrajpal Rai
Deepak Khandelwal
Ramu Ramakesavan
Jayashree Thampi
Kalwant Mamak
Padmini Turlapati
Susheel Gupta
Venu Thampi
Parkash Bedi
Seanie Murphy
Daniel Brown
Mark Stagg
Thomas Hayes
(Subject to change)
For further information about the Commission, including the Terms of Reference and the Rules of Procedure
and Practice, please visit the Commission's website at: www.majorcomm.ca
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Contact:
Michael Tansey
Commission Spokesperson
Tel.: (613) 949-8477
mtansey@majorcomm.ca
