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Years after being cleared of perpetrating Canada’s worst terrorist assault, a former suspect has been killed in British Columbia
One of many alleged terrorists who was acquitted of taking down an Air India flight with a suitcase bomb in 1985, killing 329 folks, has been fatally shot in Canada in what police say was probably a focused homicide.
Ripudaman Singh Malik, 75, was shot on Thursday morning in Surrey, British Columbia, and died on the scene, in line with police. A witness informed Canada’s CBC Information that he heard three photographs, then pulled Malik from his crimson Tesla. The sufferer was bleeding from a neck wound.
“We’re conscious of Mr. Malik’s background, although at the moment we’re nonetheless working to find out the motive,” murder investigators stated in an announcement. “We will verify that the capturing seems to be focused, and there may be not believed to be any additional danger to the general public.”
Malik, a Sikh businessman who immigrated to Canada in 1972, was one of many suspects accused of bombing an Air India flight that originated in Toronto and blew up off the coast of Eire whereas in path to London. The incident marked Canada’s deadliest terrorist assault on report. One other bomb destined for a separate Air India flight exploded at an airport in Tokyo, killing two baggage handlers and bringing the whole loss of life toll to 331. Over 80 of the victims have been youngsters.
Prosecutors alleged that the bombings have been carried out by Sikh extremists in British Columbia who focused state-owned Air India as retribution for a June 1984 raid on the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab. The raid, which was reportedly achieved to flush out separatists, left about 400 folks useless and enraged Sikhs, who accused the Indian authorities of desecrating their holiest shrine.
Malik and an alleged confederate, Ajaib Singh Bagri, have been acquitted of mass homicide and conspiracy in 2005, after a trial that stretched on for 2 years. The one suspect discovered responsible of the Air India assault, Inderjit Singh Reyat, testified towards Malik and Bagri and was later convicted of perjury.
Malik’s son, Jaspreet Singh Malik, lamented that media retailers and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) at all times checked out his father as an accused Air India bomber. “He was wrongly charged, and the court docket concluded there was no proof towards him,” the youthful Malik stated. “The media and RCMP by no means appeared to simply accept the court docket’s determination, and I pray at the moment’s tragedy isn’t associated.”
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The senior Malik initially labored as a cab driver after transferring to Canada. He later went on to guide British Columbia’s Khalsa Credit score Union and Khalsa Faculties. The latter, which train the Punjabi language and Sikh historical past together with the usual Canadian curriculum, have been criticized for persevering with to obtain authorities funding after Malik was arrested as an accused Air India bomber in October 2000.
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