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A spokesman of the Air India Task Force of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said that Lal Singh's claim of being offered $2-million in exchange for giving evidence in the Kanishka bombing case 'is false'.
Lal Singh, who was the first to be named an accused in the case, alleged that Canadian police offered him $2 million and immigration to a country of his choice for giving a false statement.
He is, at present, lodged in a jail in Jallandhar in Punjab.
In a telephone interview on August 15 RCMP Sergeant John Ward told IANS, "All I can tell you is this man is not a witness at all. We never offered him sums of money that he is saying we did and that is what I an say about this matter."
Singh had said that he was questioned on three occasions by the Canadian police and was twice offered money in exchange for his giving evidence.
When asked whether a RCMP team had gone to India twice to meet Singh, Sgt Ward conceded, "I know they did speak to him but whether they went to India or not I can't tell you but they did speak to him."
He couldn't remember the dates when Canadian police officers spoke to Singh.
Two persons Ajaib Singh Bagri and Ripudaman Singh Malik were charged with mass murder in October last year in connection with the Air India tragedy of June 1985 and they are under police custody in Vancouver (British Columbia).
At that time RCMP had indicated that more arrests would be made.
When asked about that claim, Ward said "I am not going to comment on that. Our investigation is very much on."
Another suspect, Inderjit Singh Reyat, was arrested by the RCMP after he finished serving his 10-year term in connection with the explosion at Narita airport in Japan, and was charged in the Kanishka case.
Hearing in his case, in the British Columbia supreme court, is scheduled to start in February next year.
Indo-Asia News Service
Kanishka Bombing Case: Complete Coverage
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