Kanishka trial to take place in a special high-tech court

Canada has built a US $4.5-million high-tech courtroom for the trial of three men charged in 1985 bombing of Air India’s ‘Kanishka’ jetliner that killed 329 people.

The trial of Inderjit Singh Reyat, 49, Ripudaman Singh Malik, 53 and Ajaib Singh Bagri, 51 — facing charges in the mid-air bombing of Vancouver-New Delhi Air-India flight 182 on June 23, 1985 that killed mostly Canadian citizens — will begin in British Columbia in March 2003. ‘Courtroom 20’ has 25 LCD-screen computers connected to two kms of data cable allowing jurors to see specially prepared evidence, The Globe And Mail daily reported here.

The room is sealed with bullet-proof windows from the 149-seat gallery where people can watch the proceedings on three giant TV screens.

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The expenditure is, however, seen as ‘‘money well-spent’’, as the much-postponed trial has proved quite costly, with legal-aid defence lawyer’s bills alone estimated at a hefty US $23 million.

The purpose of the courtroom is ‘‘to save us money’’, said Julian Borkowski, the technical co-ordinator for the project.