Ripudaman Singh Malik, man acquitted in 1985 Air India bombing, shot dead in Canada
- Acquitted suspect in the 1985 Air India bombings that killed 331people was shot dead in Surrey, British Columbia
- A vehicle believed to be driven by the gunmen in the apparent targeted shooting was found nearby, engulfed in fire
A man acquitted in a terrorist bombing that killed 329 people aboard an Air India flight in 1985 was the person slain Thursday in what Canadian authorities described as a possible targeted shooting, his family said.
Jaspreet Malik confirmed the death of his father, Ripudaman Singh Malik, in a statement on social media Thursday.
“The media will always refer to him as someone charged with the Air India bombing,” the son wrote on Facebook. “The media and RCMP never seemed to accept the court’s decision and I pray today’s tragedy is not related.”
Malik and his co-accused, Ajaib Singh Bagri, were found not guilty in March 2005 of murder and conspiracy in a pair of Air India bombings that killed 331 people on June 23, 1985.
A witness who works a car wash in Surrey said he heard shots Thursday morning and ran outside to find Malik unconscious in his car.
In a statement, the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team said: “We are aware of Mr 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”.