New Delhi: A report from the state-funded Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) is gaining traction on social media, alleging that Canada’s security agency had an informant within the group that plotted the 1985 Air India flight bombing.

The 2003 report claims that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) removed the informant just before the attack to prevent him from being implicated. Recent revelations from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) documents, unveiled after a publication ban was lifted, suggest that the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service (CSIS) may have harboured a mole within the conspiracy to bomb Kanishka Air India Flight 182 in 1985.

Who Was The Mole?

The mole, identified as Surjan Singh Gill, presented himself as the consul-general of the fictitious Khalistan, a creation of separatist aspirations rather than reality. The RCMP affidavit by Constable Gary Clark-Marlow indicates that CSIS was aware of the dangerous conspiracy involving Gill and Talwinder Singh Parmar, the mastermind behind the plot, yet chose to maintain their covert connection.

On June 21, 1985, just before the bombing, CSIS intercepted a coded conversation between Gill and Parmar. Gill confirmed the delivery of "papers"—presumably airline tickets—and "clothes," which were likely to be bomb components. Despite having resigned from the separatist organization led by Parmar on the same day, Gill was seen later conversing with him. This contradiction raises serious concerns about CSIS's priorities: preserving their asset while ignoring the imminent threat to innocent lives.

CSIS Takes Precautionary Measures To Extract Gill

Evidence suggests that CSIS took precautionary measures to extract Gill from the situation just before the attack, presumably to protect him from repercussions for his role in the conspiracy. The RCMP's interrogation of Ajaib Singh Bagri, arrested in 2000 for his involvement in the bombing, revealed that the Canadian espionage service had a spy within the ranks of the conspirators. These revelations come at a time of heightened tension between India and Canada, fueled by Canada's perceived leniency toward separatist elements and allegations regarding Indian involvement in the killing of Khalistani leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in 2023.

As the haunting memory of the Air India bombing, which claimed 329 lives, resurfaces, the CSIS's actions appear increasingly duplicitous. The agency's choice to prioritize the safety of their mole over the lives of innocent passengers speaks volumes about their complicity in a narrative of negligence and betrayal. Surjan Singh Gill's escape to London without facing charges only deepens the sense of injustice surrounding this tragic event. In light of these revelations, one must question the true commitment of Canadian intelligence to protecting its citizens and maintaining accountability, especially when its actions reflect a willingness to overlook grave threats for the sake of secrecy and preservation.