A star prosecution witness in the Air-India Kanishka bombing trial has said she is still in love with the main accused, Ripudaman Singh Malik, and felt she's betraying him by testifying against him in the case.
Also see: Complete coverage of the Kanishka bombing trial
"I still love him. I still respect him," she told the court in presence of Malik's family and friends in the public gallery.
"I miss him. I hate being here. I wish I wasn't here," she said even as she denied a suggestion by prosecutor Joe Bellows that she was out for revenge.
With tears in her eyes, she told the court Friday that Malik loved her, trusted her and confided in her, and even though she had not seen him for five years, she missed him and thinks about him.
The woman, who is the most important witness in the case, said she had promised Malik that she would always love him, no matter what.
Prosecutors have said that she will testify that Malik told her about his role in the disaster and also told the woman the names of several others involved in the scheme, Canadian daily The Globe and Mail reported.
In April 1997, Malik told her a time would come when she would hate him. "I tell him, I could never hate you. There is nothing to hate you about. I cannot think of anything that could change...," she told the court.
In 1992, the woman began working at a school, and Malik, who was the head of school's trustees, was involved in hiring her.
A good working relationship developed early on, she said and added that they became fond of each other and friendship turned into love and love turned into respect.
"We shared a love and friendship that is very hard to find," she said.
Malik and Ajaib Singh Bagri are charged with the murder of 329 people killed in mid-air explosion aboard the Air-India flight on June 23, 1985.
They also face murder charges for the death of two baggage handlers at Japan's Narita airport in another explosion the same day.
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