Close X
Wednesday, October 23, 2024
ADVT 
National

Two plead guilty to B.C. murder of former Air India suspect Ripudaman Singh Malik

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 21 Oct, 2024 01:07 PM
  • Two plead guilty to B.C. murder of former Air India suspect Ripudaman Singh Malik

Two men charged in the killing of former Air India bombing suspect Ripudaman Singh Malik have pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in a British Columbia court.

The courthouse in New Westminster, B.C., confirmed the pleas from Tanner Fox and Jose Lopez in the shooting death of Malik, who was acquitted in 2005 of the bombings that killed 331 people in 1985. 

Fox and Lopez, who were originally charged with first-degree murder, will next appear in court on Oct. 31.

In a statement, Malik's family say the plea "brings mixed emotions" as "nothing will erase the pain that we have gone through."

The statement also said that while the family is "grateful" that Fox and Lopez were brought to justice, they are urging the two men to co-operate with police "in bringing those that hired you to justice." 

Malik, 75, was shot dead in his vehicle outside his business in Surrey, B.C., on July 14, 2022.

Police said before charging Fox and Lopez that people in a vehicle waited hours for Malik before the shooting at 9:30 a.m. that day. 

Malik's son, Jaspreet Singh Malik, has said family members had never heard of Fox or Lopez, and he did not know why anyone would kill his father.

In the latest statement, the Malik family called the killing an "assassination" without identifying any groups that they believe to be involved.

"Tanner Fox and Jose Lopez were hired to commit this murder," the statement says. "Until the parties responsible for hiring them and directing this assassination are brought to justice, the work remains incomplete.

"To Tanner Fox and Jose Lopez we say: You have taken a good first step in taking responsibility for your actions. Now take the next step and co-operate with the RCMP in bringing those that hired you to justice."

Things got real ugly however after the guilty plea the two attacked each other and in the physical altercation Lopez raced from one end of the courtroom to the other and started puching Fox in the head. 

Malik and a co-accused were found not guilty of murder and conspiracy in the 1985 Air India bombings, where one bomb on a passenger jet operated by the airline crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Ireland, killing all 329 passengers and crew. 

Roughly one hour later, a bomb destined for another Air India plane exploded prematurely at an airport in Japan, killing two baggage handlers.

Earlier this month, RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme said the force had launched a special unit to investigate multiple cases of extortion, coercion and violence, including murders, linked to agents of the Indian government.

Duheme said the RCMP were speaking out due to what it deemed as a serious threat to public safety. 

Canada expelled six Indian diplomats who police have named as persons of interest in the cases. They were not specific about which murders may be involved in the allegations. 

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told Parliament last year that there was credible intelligence linking India's government to the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a temple leader shot while in his truck in the parking lot of the gurdwara in Surrey, B.C.

Four men have been charged in that murder. 

Police are alleging that diplomats used their position to collect information on Canadians within the Khalistan movement, an effort to create a separate homeland for Sikhs in India's Punjab.

Mounties alleged the diplomats passed the information on to criminal gangs who targeted individuals directly, allegations that India has denied.

Court documents show both Fox and Lopez have previous criminal records. 

MORE National ARTICLES

B.C. residents can still get COVID shots until arrival of updated vaccines: province

B.C. residents can still get COVID shots until arrival of updated vaccines: province
British Columbia says its current supply of COVID-19 vaccines will remain available until new formulations are approved, unlike other provinces that say they're following instructions from the Public Health Agency of Canada to remove and destroy existing doses. A spokesman for the provincial health officer says B.C. residents are encouraged to wait for the updated COVID vaccines if possible, but people can still get last season's shots if they need them.

B.C. residents can still get COVID shots until arrival of updated vaccines: province

Puppy theft in Kelowna

Puppy theft in Kelowna
Police in Kelowna are on the lookout after an identified suspect grabbed a puppy out walking with its owner and fled. Kelowna R-C-M-P say the theft happened on the night of August 31st, when a "middle-aged, bald Caucasian male" in a grey vehicle pulled up next to the owner and the puppy walking on Royal Pine Drive.

Puppy theft in Kelowna

Canadian researchers find signs of awareness in comatose patient, study says

Canadian researchers find signs of awareness in comatose patient, study says
A neuroimaging technique called functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to shine light waves into three patients' brains to find activity in response to different commands, said a study published recently in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) journal.

Canadian researchers find signs of awareness in comatose patient, study says

Home sales fell in Vancouver in August

Home sales fell in Vancouver in August
Home sales in Greater Vancouver fell 17.1 per cent in August from the same period last year, according to the latest statistics. Greater Vancouver Realtors says there were a total of 19-hundred-and-four homes sold in the region last month, down from almost 23-hundred last year.

Home sales fell in Vancouver in August

Suspect in deadly Vancouver stranger attacks was on probation: VPD chief

Suspect in deadly Vancouver stranger attacks was on probation: VPD chief
Chief Constable Adam Palmer says the suspect, a 34-year-old White Rock man, appears to be "very troubled" and police are looking into whether mental health was a factor in this morning's "horrific" attacks. He says the man, who had a history of assaulting police and social workers, was tracked down with the help of a drone and arrested at Habitat Island, near the Olympic Village.

Suspect in deadly Vancouver stranger attacks was on probation: VPD chief

Review of B.C. refinery stench says cold snap triggered series of events

Review of B.C. refinery stench says cold snap triggered series of events
Parkland Corp. has released a review into an unplanned shutdown of its Burnaby, B.C., refinery in January that blanketed parts of Metro Vancouver with a foul stench. The review released last week says unusually cold weather triggered a series of events leading to the release of a noxious odour that generated more than 100 complaints from residents.

Review of B.C. refinery stench says cold snap triggered series of events