Surjan Singh Gill

Last updated

Surjan Singh Gill was a suspect in the bombing of Air India Flight 182, and has been alleged to have been a possible Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) mole. [1]

Gill referred to himself by the self-proclaimed title of "Consular General of Khalistan", and was a member of Babbar Khalsa until three days before the bombing. [1] It has been suggested that CSIS wanted to pull "their man" out of the group as soon as they realised that a serious plot was underway and about to take place. [1]

Although a central figure in the investigation, Gill was never charged and disappeared after flying to the United Kingdom. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RDX</span> Explosive chemical compound

RDX (abbreviation of "Research Department eXplosive" or Royal Demolition eXplosive) or hexogen, among other names, is an organic compound with the formula (CH2N2O2)3. It is white, odorless and tasteless, widely used as an explosive. Chemically, it is classified as a nitroamine alongside HMX, which is a more energetic explosive than TNT. It was used widely in World War II and remains common in military applications.

<i>De Mol</i> (TV series) Belgian reality game show

De Mol is a Belgian reality game show that originally aired from 6 December 1998 to 19 March 2000 and again from 19 January to 16 March 2003 on TV1 with Michiel Devlieger as host. A revival has aired since 1 February 2016 on VIER with Gilles De Coster as host. The show won the famous Rose d'Or award in 2000. The format has been licensed in 40 countries from all around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian Security Intelligence Service</span> Intelligence agency

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service is a foreign intelligence service and security agency of the federal government of Canada. It is responsible for gathering, processing, and analyzing national security information from around the world and conducting covert action within Canada and abroad. CSIS reports to the Minister of Public Safety, and is subject to review by the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air India Flight 182</span> June 1985 aircraft bombing over the Atlantic Ocean near Ireland

Air India Flight 182 was a passenger flight operating on the Montreal–London–Delhi–Bombay route, that on 23 June 1985, disintegrated over the Atlantic Ocean as a result of an explosion from a bomb planted by Canadian Sikh terrorists. It was operated using a Boeing 747-237B registered VT-EFO. The incident happened en route from Montreal to London at an altitude of 31,000 feet (9,400 m). The remnants of the aircraft fell into the sea approximately 190 kilometres off the coast of Ireland, killing all 329 people on board, including 268 Canadian citizens, 27 British citizens, and 24 Indian citizens. The bombing of Air India Flight 182 is the worst terrorist attack in Canadian history, the deadliest aviation incident in the history of Air India and was the world's deadliest act of aviation terrorism until the September 11 attacks in 2001. The mastermind behind the bombing was believed to be Inderjit Singh Reyat, a dual British-Canadian national, who pleaded guilty in 2003 and Talwinder Singh Parmar, a Canadian Sikh separatist leader, who was one of the key individuals associated with the militant group Babbar Khalsa.

<i>CSI: NY</i> American police procedural drama television series (2004–2013)

CSI: NY is an American police procedural television series that ran on CBS from September 22, 2004, to February 22, 2013, for a total of nine seasons and 197 original episodes. The show follows the investigations of a team of NYPD forensic scientists and police officers identified as "Crime Scene Investigators" as they unveil the circumstances behind mysterious and unusual deaths, as well as other crimes. The series is an indirect spin-off from the veteran series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and a direct spin-off from CSI: Miami, during an episode in which several of the CSI: NY characters made their first appearances. It is the third series in the CSI franchise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of South India</span> United Protestant church in South India

The Church of South India (CSI) is a united Protestant Church in India. It is the result of union of a number of Protestant denominations in South India that occurred after the independence of India.

Talwinder Singh Parmar First co-chief of Babbar Khalsa

Talwinder Singh Parmar or Hardev Singh Parmar was a Sikh militant accused by Indian government of masterminding the 1985 Air India Flight 182 bombing, which killed 329 people. It was the worst single incident of aviation terrorism in history until the September 11 attacks in the United States. In addition, another bomb was meant to explode aboard Air India Flight 301 in Japan the same day, but it exploded while the plane was still grounded, killing two people. Parmar was also the founder, leader, and Jathedar of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), better known as Babbar Khalsa, a Sikh militant group involved in the Khalistan movement.

The Security Intelligence Review Committee was a committee of Privy Councillors that was empowered to serve as an independent oversight and review body for the operations of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS). The SIRC was established in 1984 as a result of the reorganization of Canadian intelligence agencies recommended by the McDonald Commission investigating the illegal activities of the former RCMP Security Service.

Thomas D'Arcy "Ted" Finn was the first director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), serving from 1984 until 1987. He resigned after it was revealed that CSIS had filed an "inaccurate and misleading" affidavit to acquire a warrant for a wiretap.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Popeye (missile)</span> Air-to-surface missile

The Popeye is a family of air-to-surface missiles developed and in use by Israel, of which several types have been developed for Israeli and export users. A long-range submarine-launched cruise missile variant of the Popeye Turbo has been speculated as being employed in Israel's submarine-based nuclear forces. The United States operated the Popeye under a different designation according to US naming conventions as the AGM-142 Have Nap.

James S. Warren was the director of the counter-terrorism branch of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) in 1985 at the time of the Air India bombing. Mel Deschenes is alternatingly referred to as having held the same position at the same time.

Santokh Singh Bagga was a Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) informant who helped with the investigation of the 1985 Air India bombing.

Mel Deschenes was the director-general of the counter-terrorism branch of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service in 1985 at the time of the Air India bombing. James S. Warren is alternatingly referred to as having held the position of director-general at the same time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guru Nanak Dev Engineering College, Ludhiana</span> Autonomous college in Ludhiana, Punjab

Guru Nanak Dev Engineering College is one of the oldest engineering institutions of the northern region situated at Gill Park, Ludhiana, Punjab, India. The foundation stone of the college was laid on 8 April 1956 by Hon'ble Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India. The college has been named after 1st Sikh Guru Guru Nanak Dev Ji.

<i>Soft Target</i> (book)

Soft Target: How the Indian Intelligence Service Penetrated Canada is an investigative journalism book written by Canadian reporters Zuhair Kashmeri and Brian McAndrew. The authors define a "soft target" as "an espionage term used for any country, institution or group of people very easy to penetrate and manipulate for subversive purposes" and argue that the Canadian Sikh community was a soft target of a covert operation by the Indian government during the 1980s. The book also makes a claim that Indian intelligence agencies not only penetrated the Sikh community in order to discredit them worldwide and halt the momentum of the demand of an independent Sikh state, but also manipulated the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS).

"Last Man Standing" is the first episode of the sixth season of the American police procedural drama NCIS, and the 114th episode overall. It originally aired on CBS in the United States on September 23, 2008. The episode is written by Shane Brennan and directed by Tony Wharmby, and was seen live by 18.03 million viewers.

In May 1986, five Canadian Sikhs were charged with plotting to blow up Air India Flight 112 in New York City. Ostensibly members of Babbar Khalsa, two were convicted and given life sentences, while three others were released. However, years later, the courts overturned the sentences and freed the remaining two men noting that the government had failed to disclose "crucial evidence" about the alleged plot, and defence lawyers argued that the men had been entrapped by police agents who invited them to a meeting, then suggested the crime, and arrested them for showing signs of agreement.

Malkiat Singh Sidhu was the former Planning Minister of Punjab, India. He was a member of the Akali Dal political party. In 1986, he was named Minister of State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diocese of Madhya Kerala of the Church of South India</span>

The Madhya Kerala Diocese is one of the twenty-four dioceses of the Church of South India covering the central part of Kerala. When the Church of South India was formed on 27 September 1947, the diocese was called the Diocese of Central Travancore. It was a part of the erstwhile Anglican Diocese of Travancore and Cochin founded in 1879. The Diocese was later renamed as the Diocese of Madhya Kerala.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bidar Air Force Station</span> IAFs advanced fighter pilot training centre

Bidar Air Force Station,, is a flight training establishment of the Indian Air Force. It was founded during World War II and has been a training center for Indian Air Force pilots since 1963. Trainer aircraft like the HAL HT-2 and variants of HAL HJT-16 Kiran have been used at the airbase for nearly four decades. In 2011, the station was remodeled and refurbished, with the runway extended to 9000 feet and new facilities for aircraft engine maintenance and testing added.

References

  1. 1 2 3 CBC, Crime Files: The Mole, August 27, 2003
  2. WSWS, Twenty years since the Air India bombins, July 29, 2005