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Alleged Air India bombers seek bail

It was the first bail hearing for Ajaib Singh Bagri and Ripudaman Singh Malik who were arrested by Royal Canadian Mounted Police two months ago in connection with the bombing of the jumbo jet off the coast of Ireland and the killing of two baggage handlers in Japan on the same day.

Prosecutors Joseph Bellows and Richard Cairns argued against bail, but details of the proceedings could not be revealed after Malik's lawyer asked for, and received, a publication ban from British Columbia Supreme Court judge Patrick Dohm.

The bombing of Flight 182, called the worst act of terrorism in aviation history, is believed to have been carried out by Sikh militants as revenge for storming of the Golden temple in Amritsar in 1984.

Bagri, 51, and Malik, 53, are in custody and did not attend the hearing.

The pair has made two previous court appearances and is scheduled to be back in court on January 31 for the scheduling of a trial date.

The case is expected to be one the most complex and lengthy criminal trials in Canadian history, as police spent 15 years gathering evidence before finally charging the pair.

Defense lawyer Bill Smart has said he believes the case against his client Malik is weak, and is expected to attack the credibility of prosecution witnesses.

Malik and Bagri were both charged under the Canadian criminal code in late October with eight counts each, including first-degree murder.

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