Toronto: Inderjit Singh Reyat, the only person convicted for the 1985 Air India Kanishka bombing, has been released from a Canadian prison under tough conditions, including one that he will have to live at a halfway house until August 2018 when his perjury sentence will expire.
Halfway houses are meant for reintegration of persons who have been recently released from jail.
Reyat was found guilty of perjury in 2010 after he lied during the trial of two men accused of the bombing that killed all 329 passengers on the plane, in Canada’s worst terror attack.
He was sentenced to a record nine years in prison, or seven years and seven months after accounting for time served.
Reyat previously served more than 15 years in prison for making the bombs that were stuffed into two suitcases and planted on planes leaving Vancouver. The bombing of Air India 182 occurred at the same time as the Narita airport bombing in Japan. Investigators believe that the two plots were linked.
Under Canadian law, offenders must be granted statutory release after they have served two-thirds of their sentence.
However, Parole Board of Canada spokesman Patrick Storey said Reyat must abide by several conditions as part of his release, including not possessing any extremist propaganda or any components used to build an explosive device.
He is also not allowed to contact the victims’ families or anyone who is believed to hold extremist views. He will be monitored by a parole officer and must complete counselling, The Canadian Press reported.
Reyat is set to serve the rest of his sentence, which ends in August 2018, at a halfway house. Storey said he could not disclose the location of the residence due to privacy legislation.
The parole board ruling for Reyat’s release said a psychologist’s assessment in 2013 found the man’s risk was “relatively high” for future group-based violence and that he lacked remorse for the bombings.
“The loss of life had a profound and long-lasting impact on the families who lost their relatives in these incidents, and had farreaching impact on people around the world,” the decision said.
“Until recently, you took limited responsibility for your role in this catastrophic disaster, you lied in court and protected others involved.”
If Reyat breaches any of the conditions, he can be sent back to prison, Storey said.
