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Kanishka bombing suspects' custody extended

Ripudaman Singh Malik and Ajaib Singh Bagri stood side-by-side in the prisoner's box in the courtroom while their lawyer asked for more time to prepare their defence.

The duo were ordered back into custody and their next court appearance was scheduled for January 31.

Lawyers for both suspects said they are planning to make an application for bail in mid-December to have their clients released from jail before their next scheduled court appearance.

Malik's lawyer, William Smart, said outside the court that they need more time to prepare their defence in what is expected to be one the most complex criminal trials in Canadian history.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police spent 15 years gathering evidence before finally filing charges in the bombing of Air India flight 182, which killed 329 people on June 23, 1985. The flight, en route to New Delhi and Bombay, blew up off the coast of Ireland, killing all aboard.

"There are 100 volumes of material to read," said Smart. "But my sense is that the evidence against Malik is quite narrow."

Malik, 53, and Bagri, 51, were charged in late October with eight counts each under the Canadian criminal code including first degree murder and conspiring to cause bombs to be placed on various aircraft.

Asked if he could confirm reports that some of the witnesses in the case had received threats, Smart said, "I don't know anything about that."

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