In a stunning conclusion to a case that spanned 20 years, two Canadians were found not guilty on first-degree murder charges in the bombing of Air-India Flight 182 that killed 329 people.
Mr. Justice Ian Bruce Josephson of the B.C. Supreme Court found that Vancouver businessman Ripudaman Singh Malik and mill worker Ajaib Singh Bagri were each not guilty in connection with the deaths of the people aboard the flight on June 23, 1985, and on murder charges in connection with a bomb that killed two baggage handlers in Tokyo on the same day.
The bombs did originate in Vancouver, Judge Josephson ruled, but two decades after they exploded Canadian officials are no closer to solving the case.
The Judge told the courtroom Wednesday that he questioned the credibility of the Crown witnesses. He said there were too many inconsistencies in the key witnesses' story and too many motives for revenge against Mr. Malik. And he said there was little hard evidence connecting the two suspects to the bombing.
Mr. Malik left the court and drove away without any comment, but his family posted a statement on his website that proclaimed his innocence and expressed sadness that the perpetrators who are responsible for the crime still have not been brought to justice. Mr. Bagri's daughter told reporters outside the B.C. courtroom that the judgments are a great relief to her family, who maintain Mr. Bagri's innocence. She delivered a statement on behalf of her father, who stood behind her.
"It is my view that the conclusion of these proceedings will now allow the healing to begin," she said.
In explaining his decision regarding Mr. Bagri, Judge Josephson said he did not believe any of the witnesses. He said he didn't find them credible and said the evidence against Mr. Bagri rested on hearsay statements which couldn't be confirmed.
"Justice is not achieved if a person is convicted of anything less than beyond a reasonable doubt," the Judge read aloud to those gathered in the Vancouver courtroom to hear the verdict. His entire summary of his decision was concluded in less than one hour. The full written judgment is more than 500 pages.
Judge Josephson delivered the summary of his verdict to a stunned courtroom.
The decision shocked family members of those who died and others in the Sikh community.
"Who did it?," Sarwan Singh Randhawa, a spokesman for the Sikh Khalsa Diwan Society, said on CBC after the verdict was known. "Who put the bombs on the plane? This is not fair for those families whose loved ones are lost."
"There should be a public inquiry. Every Canadian has the right to an answer."
After he read his decision, the judge left the room, leaving family members of the victims and the accused shocked and stunned at what had just happened and at the speed at which the verdict was read.
Some members of Mr. Malik's family were seen pumping their fists in the air when the verdict was read. Many could not get up at first, they were frozen in disbelief.
Victims' families sat in silence at first, and then many family members began crying.
About 40 people from the defendants' families were overjoyed at the verdict and some also began crying in relief, saying, "Thank goodness. Thank goodness."
A number of Mr. Malik and Mr. Bagri's family members then got on their cellphones and began placing calls to relatives and friends.
They did not want to speak to the media, however.
In particular, the judge said he did not believe a key Crown witness who said she was in love with Mr. Malik. She told the court that Mr. Malik had confessed to her about bringing down the plane.
But Judge Josephson was troubled by her claims that she was still in love with her former boss and has a deep respect for him. The idea that she is in love with Mr. Malik, he said, was probably a story she made up to bolster her credibility.
