Saturday, May 7 2005 10:48 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Vancouver: Former Ontario Premier Bob Rae appointed to advice the Canadian Government whether a public inquiry is needed into the 1985 Air India disaster after the acquittal of the two main accused has said such a probe may not produce the answers families of the victims are seeking.

"I get a lot of emails and phone messages from people saying they want a public inquiry because they want to find out who did it," Rae, also a lawyer, told the 'Toronto Star' newspaper.

"The problem with that is - that's what the criminal process is for - and we don't try people in public inquiries," he said, adding a public inquiry might not produce the answers families seek.

So he won't just be considering a public inquiry but will look at a variety of options, and especially, "what further public processes are in order for us to come to terms with what happened and to draw lessons and to draw conclusions from what happened," he said.

His comments came in the backdrop of Canadian prosecutors deciding not to appeal against the acquittal of the two main accused Ajaib Singh Bagri and Ripudaman Singh Malik of first-degree murder and conspiracy charges in the downing of the Air India plane.

Rae, adviser to Public Safety Minister Anne McLellan on the Air-India case, said he does not intend to carry out his own probe and was looking at "what conclusion can we draw from what happened, and what process is most effective to answer questions which some people feel are unanswered".