The Babbar Khalsa, members of which were allegedly involved the 1985 Air India bombing, remained a registered non-profit organisation in one Canadian province until 2004.
TORONTO: The Babbar Khalsa, members of which were allegedly involved the 1985 Air India bombing, remained a registered non-profit organisation in one Canadian province until 2004, long after its charitable status was revoked in another, a media report said here on Friday.
The Vancouver Sun report came as University of Toronto law professor David Duff testified before a public inquiry into the bombing, which claimed 329 lives, that less than one per cent of charities are being audited in Canada.
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) was auditing more charities in the mid-1990s when concerns arose because the Babbar Khalsa had been given tax-exempt status, he said.
Duff said there was such an outcry over BK's charitable status that the issue was raised in the House of Commons.
"It was quite a scandal at the time that Babbar Khalsa society, members of which were believed to have been involved in the planning of the Air India bombing ... managed to get charitable status in Canada in the early 90s. It was revoked in 1996, but they did manage to get it," Duff said.
"There were also a number of allegations about Sikh temple funds in the mid-90s being diverted for use in militant organisations in India," said Duff,who was commissioned by the inquiry to recommend legislative changes governing charities.
He did not mention the fact that the Babbar Khalsa remained a registered non-profit organisation in British Columbia until February 11, 2004 -- long after its charitable number was revoked in Ottawa, the media report said.
Documents obtained from the B.C. corporate registry show that the group voluntarily gave up its non-profit status and that it had nothing to do with the fact the federal government had banned it as a terrorist entity in June 2003, it said.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}