NEW WESTMINSTER, BC. The Canadian Press.
One of two men accused and acquitted of blowing up Air India flight 182 in 1985 is suing the B.C. and federal governments for malicious prosecution.

Ripudaman Singh Malik, pictured centre, has filed documents in B.C. Supreme Court arguing the charges smeared his reputation and caused him financial losses.

Malik, a millionaire who made his money in the textile industry, had signed an agreement in 2002 with the provincial government to cover his legal costs on the condition that he liquidate his assets.

Linda Mueller, a spokeswoman in the B.C. Attorney General's Ministry, said: "We are interested to see that he has taken this type of action given that he does owe the taxpayers of B.C. several million dollars that we advanced to him to pay the defence costs ..."

At a September 2003 hearing to get more legal aid funding, Malik said he exhausted his fortune fighting the charges. But lawyers for the B.C. government argued Malik had access to assets he owns jointly with his wife, who ran the family's various businesses while her husband was in jail.