VANCOUVER, BC, CANADA—Inderjit Singh Reyat will serve the longest perjury sentence in Canadian history after his appeal to reduce the sentence was rejected by the B.C Court of Appeal.
He is serving the sentence for lying at the trial of two other Singhs who were accused of terrorism and murder involving the blowing up of an Air India flight in 1985. Inderjit Singh has already been convicted of three counts of manslaughter, two counts for the deaths of two baggage handlers after a bomb exploded prematurely in Japan, and one count for his role in the downing of Flight 182.
Inderjit Singh was called to testify at the trial of Ripudaman Singh Malik, and Ajaib Singh Bagri in 2003, both accused of being the masterminds of the downing of Flight 182. Both men were acquitted of all charges.
He has been convicted of lying 19 times at the trial of Malik and Bagri. Crown Laywer Len Doust told judges that Inderjit Singh has no remorse for his role in the bombings, and behaves like a man still committed to a cause. Although he does not believe Inderjit Singh planned an elaborate lie, he still intended to obstruct the truth. The judges agreed, and handed out a 9 year prison term.
It should be noted however that no one has ever been convicted as the mastermind of the terror plot. There have been numerous conspiracy theories as evidence has been destroyed by the Canadian Secret Intelligence Agency. Many believe that the Indian Government was involved in the bombing to defame the Sikhs in order to destroy any chance of widespread global support for the Sikhs after the Indian Army attacked Sri Darbar Sahib in June 1984. Indian agents infiltrated many Sikh groups around the world in order to defame them, and prevent any support for the Sikh cause.
