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Kanishka bombing suspects to get legal aid

Ajit Jain in Toronto

Three men accused of mass murder in the bombing of the Air-India jumbo Kanishka off Cork, Ireland, in June 1985 will have 15 defence lawyers and two-thirds of their multi-million-dollar legal fees will be borne by Canadian taxpayers, a spokesman of the prosecutors' team in Vancouver, British Columbia, said.

Brian Rendell reportedly said on June 20 that the defence team would be up against at least 12 crown prosecutors who have been working on the case for about three years.

Asked why taxpayers should pay the legal fees of the defence lawyers, Rendell was quoted as saying that the "fundamental requirements of justice" mandate that the government ensure that the accused are properly represented in court.

The three accused, now in detention, are: Ajaib Singh Bagri, a mill worker; Inderjit Singh Reyat, who has already served a ten-year prison term in connection with the death of two Japanese baggage handlers at Tokyo's Narita airport in a related bomb blast; and businessman Ripudaman Singh Malik.

Rendell said, "Accused persons are entitled to be tried fairly, with all their procedural rights protected." He added that the case poses complicated legal questions and involves complicated evidence.

Bagri's defence lawyer, Richard Peck, told reporters that the British Columbia government had agreed to pay for six lawyers and two legal researchers to represent his client.

Reyat received "approval in principle for government-funded lawyers and discussion are continuing with the government on the details", said his lawyer David Martin.

Only Malik, who is a wealthy businessman, is unlikely to receive any government help. His legal bills will be paid from private sources, his lawyer David Crossin reportedly said.

The hearing in this sensational case in the British Columbia Supreme Court is likely to start in February next year.

The Kanishka Bombing: The complete coverage

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