Suspect of 1985 Air India bombing shot dead in Canada
Ripudaman Singh Malik, who was acquitted in the 1985 Air India Kanishka bombing case that killed 331 people, was shot dead in Canada's British Columbia on Thursday. The Canadian police said that they are still ascertaining the motive behind Malik's killing. In 2005, Malik was acquitted of mass murder and conspiracy charges. The bombing remains the worst terrorist attack on Canada to date.
Why does this story matter?
Malik was allegedly associated with Babbar Khalsa, a terrorist outfit responsible for several terror incidents in Punjab. He was also believed to be a close associate of Talwinder Singh Parmar, the alleged mastermind of the Air India bombing. Malik and his co-accused, Ajaib Singh Bagri, were acquitted in 2005. Malik spent four years in prison before his acquittal and later asked for compensation.
Police didn't initially release Malik's identity
While the Canadian police didn't initially release the victim's identity, it confirmed it after Malik's son, Jaspreet Malik, posted a statement on social media about the shooting. Reports cited eyewitness accounts. While one said that he "heard three shots and pulled Malik from his red Tesla bleeding from a neck wound," another witness from a nearby business identified the victim as Malik.
Shooters set vehicle ablaze, fled in another vehicle
The police said that the victim who suffered gunshot wounds "succumbed to his injuries (at the) scene." They also said that the vehicle apparently driven by the shooters was located a few kilometers away "fully engulfed in fire." It is likely that the shooters fled in another vehicle after setting the previous one ablaze. Search is on for the vehicle, the police further said.
Homicide team issued a statement
The homicide team said, "We are aware of Malik's background, though at this time we are still working to determine the motive. We can confirm that the shooting appears to be targeted and there is not believed to be any further risk to the public." Malik's brother-in-law said, "We are uncertain about who killed Ripudaman. His younger sister is on her way to Canada."
What happened on Air India flight in 1985?
On June 23, 1985, Air India flight 182, carrying 329 people, including 268 Canadian citizens and 24 Indian citizens, flew from Toronto and stopped in Montreal. It was en route to London and then onwards to its final destination Mumbai (then Bombay). A suitcase bomb exploded in the front cargo when the plane was flying above the Atlantic Ocean, killing all on board.
Attack part of Khalistani extremism
Inderjit Singh Reyat was the only person convicted for the Kanishka bombing. The attack was a part of the Khalistani extremism seeking revenge for the Indian Army's action at the Golden Temple to flush out militants in 1984.
