Many of the families of those killed on Air India flight 182 say they're disappointed by the five-year sentence given to one of the accused.

For years, the Crown had offered Inderjit Singh Reyat incentives to testify against others accused in the case.

On Monday, the Crown accepted a guilty plea from Reyat on the lesser charge of manslaughter, just six weeks before his trial on charges of murder and conspiracy to commit murder was to have begun.

Inderjit Singh Reyat during court proceedings at B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver Monday (CP PHOTO)
Inderjit Singh Reyat during court proceedings at B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver Monday (CP PHOTO)

All of those charges against Reyat were stayed when he pleaded guilty.

A spokesperson for the Crown would say only that it was the right thing to do and that saying anything more might endanger a fair trial for the other two accused, Ripudaman Singh Malik and Ajaib Singh Bagri.

Randji Khandalwal
Randji Khandalwal

The Crown and defence presented a joint submission of facts that says Reyat bought the materials for a bomb, but he thought it was going to be used in India to blow up property.

Reyat has insisted all along he didn't know it was going to kill anyone.

In 1985, a bomb ripped through Air India flight 182 as it flew near the coast of Ireland, and killed all 329 people on board, most of them Canadian.

Randji Khandalwal, who lost two daughters in the explosion, was grateful to hear that Reyat had pleaded guilty.

"It's some relief that at least one of these three persons is admitting, although to a lesser charge, that he is involved," said Khandalwal.

But he called the five-year sentence given to Reyat disappointing.

Mandeep Cheema was just five when he lost his father on the Air India flight.

"No person that has lost a family member in the plane will agree to this, will be satisfied with five years," said Cheema.

Rattan Mall, the editor of the Indo-Canadian Voice in Vancouver said people he's spoken to in the city were stunned at the sentence.

He predicted that those watching from India will be amazed by the reduced charge.

"They might think it's good if he ends up giving evidence against Bagri and Malik, but if he doesn't they'll just be laughing at the Canadian system," said Mall.

Reyat's defence lawyer said there was no deal to trade evidence for the plea bargain, but that Reyat may be subpoenaed once the trial begins.