Two men have been arrested and charged with first-degree murder in relation to the fatal shooting of Ripudaman Singh Malik, who was acquitted in the 1985 Air India terrorist bombing.
The shooting took place at roughly 9:27 a.m. PST on July 14. The Surrey RCMP said they responded to a report of a shooting at 128 Street, where first responders found the fatally injured victim, who was later identified as the 75-year-old Malik. He was shot in his vehicle in a parking lot, not far from his clothing business at the Payal Business Centre.
On July 27, the RCMP’s Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) identified two male suspects: 21-year-old Tanner Fox and 23-year-old Jose Lopez.
“With the public’s assistance, we were able to identify and locate a suspect vehicle which fled from the scene. That suspect vehicle was a white Honda CRV,” IHIT superintendent Mandeep Mooker said in a press conference.
Both men were arrested in the cities of their residence on July 26. Fox was arrested in Abbotsford and Lopez was arrested in New Westminster.
First-degree murder charges have been laid against the two men.
Mooker declined to provide further details, saying that investigations remain ongoing.
A burned vehicle was located nearby in the area of 82 Avenue and 122a Street, Surrey, which is being held by investigators and is believed to be associated with the incident.
In March 2005, Malik and his co-accused Ajaib Singh Bagri were acquitted of murder and conspiracy in relation to the 1985 Air India terrorist that killed 331 people.
One bomb was placed on an Air India jet that crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Ireland, killing all 329 passengers and crew. A second bomb, destined for another Air India plane, exploded prematurely about an hour later at Tokyo’s Narita Airport, killing two baggage handlers.
