Reyat perjury trial begins in Vancouver

The perjury trial of Inderjit Singh Reyat got underway in B.C. Supreme Court on Thursday morning, with prosecutor Len Doust outlining his opening arguments.

Reyat was a key witness at the trial of Ajaib Singh Bagri and Ripudaman Singh Malik, who were acquitted in March 2005 for the bombing of Air India Flight 182 in 1985.

Reyat has been charged with 19 instances of perjury. The trial in front of a jury of nine women and three men is expected to last up to 10 days.

Thursday's start is the second time around for Reyat's perjury trial. A jury had been chosen and was prepared to start hearing testimony in March, but it was immediately dismissed after one juror made some undisclosed remarks.

Air India Flight 182 crashed off the coast of Ireland killing 329 people after leaving Toronto on June 23, 1985.

The plane went down about an hour after two baggage handlers were killed in Tokyo when a suitcase bomb meant for another Air India plane exploded prematurely at Narita airport.

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