As India marks the 40th anniversary of the 1985 Air India ‘Kanishka’ bombing that killed 329 people, Canada has identified the mysterious bomb-tester ‘Mr.X’. It was the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) who solved an important part of the Air India Kanishka 182 bombing case. This breakthrough marks a major step forward in the investigation, as ‘Mr. X’ had remained unidentified for decades. One of the worst bombings happened on June 23, 1985. What happened to ‘Mr.X’? Is he still alive? This piece helps you understand what happened to him..
What Happened To Mr.X?
On June 21, RCMP Assistant Commissioner David Teboul confirmed the death of the mysterious Mr X during an event commemorating the anniversary of the Kanishka bombing. Dozens of relatives of the victims attended the memorial. Air India Kanishka Bombing the worst act of terror in Canadian history and a haunting reminder of Khalistani extremism.
RCMP Assistant Commissioner David Teboul, while speaking at a memorial event attended by grieving families, confirmed that ‘Mr X’ was dead. However, he didn’t disclose his name, citing privacy laws. Teboul, who heads federal policing in British Columbia, explained that although the main suspects were acquitted in 2005, investigators did not give up. They continued to follow every remaining lead and pursued all loose ends in the case, determined to uncover the truth.
This investigation ultimately led to the discovery of the identity of the mystery man referred to as ‘Mr X.’ According to the team, he had travelled to Duncan, British Columbia, on June 4, 1985. Talwinder Singh Parmar, a terrorist of Babbar Khalsa and mastermind of the terror plot also accompanied him. The two men later met Inderjit Singh Reyat, an electrician. He was later found guilty of making and placing the bombs.
The trio went into the forest and tested a bomb while agents from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) were secretly following them. Later, they met Inderjit Singh Reyat and together entered another wooded area to test an improvised explosive device (IED). Shockingly, although agents from Canada’s Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) heard the blast, they misinterpreted it as gunfire and failed to intervene, a misstep that haunts the case to this day.
Air India Kanishka Bombing
On June 23, 1985, a bomb was detonated midair by Khalistani terrorists on Air India Flight 182, killing all 329 people on board. The plane was flying from Montreal to Mumbai with a stopover in London. The passengers were mostly Canadians of Indian origin.
