Ripudaman Singh Malik, acquitted in 2005 for his alleged involvement in the attack that claimed 329 lives, was fatally shot in British Columbia in 2022. Two men have since pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in a Canadian court for their participation in the killing of Malik, a Sikh businessman previously exonerated in connection with the 1985 bombing of an Air India flight.
Malik, alongside a co-defendant, was acquitted of murder and conspiracy charges in relation to the June 23, 1985, bombing, which resulted in the aircraft crashing into the Atlantic Ocean near Ireland, resulting in the deaths of all 329 passengers and crew members. This tragic incident remains the deadliest air disaster in Canada’s history. On the same day, another bomb detonated at a Tokyo airport, claiming the lives of two Japanese baggage handlers. This explosion was believed to have been aimed at another Air India flight bound for Bangkok, which detonated prematurely.
Tanner Fox and Jose Lopez entered their guilty pleas on Monday at the British Columbia Supreme Court in New Westminster for the 2022 shooting of the 75-year-old Malik. Initially charged with first-degree murder, they are scheduled for sentencing on October 31.
The case has gained renewed attention amid escalating tensions between India and Canada, following Ottawa’s accusations of New Delhi’s involvement in the killing of prominent Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, in June 2023. In May, reports indicated that investigators were exploring whether India was connected to Malik’s murder, as he was once an advocate for the separatist Khalistan movement, which seeks a Sikh nation in India.
While the Khalistan movement has waned in India, it maintains considerable support among segments of the Sikh diaspora in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Investigators originally attributed the Air India bombings to Sikh separatists, believed to be retaliating for the Indian Army’s violent assault on the Golden Temple—the holiest site in Sikhism—in Punjab just a year prior.
In a statement, Malik’s family expressed gratitude that Fox and Lopez had been brought to justice but emphasized that “the work is not complete,” urging the two men to cooperate with law enforcement in identifying those who orchestrated the murder. “Tanner Fox and Jose Lopez were hired to commit this murder,” the family asserted.
Court documents reveal that both Fox and Lopez have prior criminal records. According to the Vancouver Sun, a fistfight erupted between the two suspects in court, requiring intervention from sheriffs to separate them.
Malik was shot and killed while in his vehicle outside his business in Surrey, British Columbia, on July 14, 2022. Malik’s son, Jaspreet Singh Malik, stated that the family had never heard of Fox or Lopez and questioned the motives behind his father’s assassination. The Malik family labeled the killing an assassination but did not specify who they believed to be the mastermind.
Earlier this month, Canadian police announced the establishment of a specialized unit to investigate multiple incidents of extortion, coercion, and violence, including murders associated with agents of the Indian government. In a reciprocal move, Canada expelled six Indian diplomats identified as persons of interest in these investigations, while India responded by expelling six Canadian diplomats.
Canadian authorities allege that the diplomats exploited their positions to gather intelligence on Canadians involved in the Khalistan movement, subsequently passing this information to criminal organizations that targeted individuals directly—allegations that India has firmly denied.
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