Ripudaman Singh Malik, acquitted two years ago on charges relating to the Air-India bombing, is suing the Attorneys-General of B.C. and Canada, reports The Globe and Mail.
Malik, who at one time was a wealthy businessman in B.C., said he has lost both his reputation and life savings since being charged in 2000.
In a filing in the Supreme Court of British Columbia, Malik claims unspecified damages "for malicious prosecution, wrongful imprisonment, breach of the Plantiff's Charter rights, Conspiracy to Injure, negligent performance of duty and damage to the Plantiff's reputation in connection with the Plaintiff's wrongful prosecution."
Malik was charged along with Ajaib Singh Bagri, of Kamloops, on eight counts -- including first degree murder and planting bombs on airplanes -- in connection to Air India Flight 182 that was downed off the coast of Ireland on June 23, 1985, killing all 329 people on board.
The pair was also jointly charged with a second count of first-degree murder in connection to the explosion of another bomb at the luggage terminal of Japan's Narita airport.
Both men were acquitted on all counts.
During their trial, the prosecution alleged that the bomb used in the explosion was loaded aboard the flight in Vancouver and that Malik and Bagri were key players in the plan.
Malik claimed during the trial that he had exhausted his savings of several million dollars on his defence. He then received money from the Crown for his case.
A B.C. cost analysis report from 2005 found that the 19-month mass murder trial cost Canadian taxpayers almost $60 million -- $30.27 million of which was funded by the B.C. government and $27.51 million by Ottawa.
Estimates suggested Bagri and Malik owed $9.7 million and $6.4 million respectively.
The B.C. government wants both Bagri and Singh to repay the money that was used for their defence.
Malik's lawyer, David Unterman, declined to comment on Tuesday.
A government spokesman told The Globe that the writ would have to be studied before any response could be made.
