Kanishka Air India bombing suspect Ripudaman Malik's murder accused plead guilty
PTC News Desk: Two men accused of killing Ripudaman Singh Malik have plead guilty to second degree murder in a Canadian court and are set to be sentenced. The accused have been identified as Tanner Fox and Jose Lopez. Malik accused in the 1985 Kanishka Air India flight bombing which killed 329 people but was later acquitted in 2022 due to lack of evidence.
Malik was shot dead on July 14, 2022 by Tanner and Lopez who are known as the local goons and have previous history of run-ins with the law. Ripudaman Singh Malik was known to be a close rival of slain Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was also a prime suspect in Malik's murder.
The motive behind Malik's murder has remained questionable, however long standing feud with Nijjar over printing of copies of Guru Granth Sahib Ji in Canada has been reportedly the one of the many reasons. Malik's closeness and attempt to reconcile with Indian state also irked Nijjar and his aides.
Malik was shot outside multiple times in his car outside his family business. During investigation, Canadian police had also hunt down two burnt vehicles which was reportedly used by the assailants following the murder.
Ripudaman Singh Malik's family has demanded justice and stringent punishment for the perpetrators of the murder. In a statement, the family had said that nothing would diminish the pain they have gone through post Malik's murder though they are grateful that the accused are being brought to the justice.
- With inputs from agencies
