Two people have been arrested in Canada and charged with murder in connection with the targeted killing of Ripudaman Singh Malik, who was acquitted in the 1985 Air India bombing case that Killed 331 people.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police told a news conference in Surrey on Wednesday that they had arrested Tanner Fox (21) from Abbotsford, British Columbia, and Jose Lopez (23) from the Vancouver suburb of New Westminster.
Malik was shot dead on July 15 in Surrey British Columbia. In relation to two bombings in 1985, Malik and co-accused Ajaib Singh Bagri were acquitted in 2005.
1985 Air India bombing is one of the worst terrorist attacks in Canadian history and in the history of the airline.
Canadian police were severely criticized for failures in their probe. In 2010, the government also apologized to families of victims for the flaws of the authorities to act on leads that might have prevented the attack or caught those responsible.
Homicide investigators have stated that they think Malik was a target but that the shooting’s motivation is still unknown, pleading with the public to refrain from making assumptions.
The community’s sentiments toward Malik’s death were mixed, with many mourning the loss of the co-founder of the Khalsa Credit Union and the Khalsa School. Some of his acquaintances were visibly shocked at the shooting scene as police surrounded the building.
