Hitman who killed 1985 Air India bombing suspect life imprisoned
What's the story
A 24-year-old man, Tanner Fox, has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the British Columbia Supreme Court in New Westminster for the 2022 murder of Ripudaman Singh Malik.
Fox is accused of murdering Malik along with co-accused Jose Lopez, who is yet to be sentenced.
The ruling was made by Justice Terence Schultes who declared that Fox will not be eligible for parole for 20 years.
Ongoing case
Co-accused yet to be sentenced, victim's family seeks truth
During his sentencing, Fox expressed remorse but did not disclose who hired him for the killing despite pleas by Malik's daughter-in-law, Sundeep Kaur Dhaliwal, to reveal those behind the murder.
The prosecution said the two accused shot Malik "multiple times" in a "planned and deliberate" murder, adding that both Fox and Lopez were "financially compensated" for their actions.
Victim's history
Malik's controversial past and public disavowal of Khalistan movement
Malik was a controversial figure as he was involved in the Kanishka bombing case of June 23, 1985, which killed 329 people. However, he was acquitted due to lack of evidence.
In early 2022, Malik publicly disavowed the Khalistan movement and praised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He also had an ongoing dispute with pro-Khalistan figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was killed in Surrey on June 18 last year.
Murder details
Malik's murder and subsequent accusations by separatist group
Malik was shot multiple times while sitting in his vehicle at his business' parking lot in Surrey.
Only the bombmaker, Inderjit Singh Reyat, was convicted, although he was released in 2016 after serving nearly two-thirds of his sentence.
The separatist group Sikhs for Justice accused India of being behind Malik's killing, similar to charges made by Canadian officials, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, about Nijjar's murder.