Ripudaman Singh Malik, who was once suspected to have funded the bombing of the Air India Kanishka in 1985, was shot dead in Canada on July 14. Preliminary reports suggest that Malik was fired at by unknown gunmen near Vancouver. He died on the spot, said sources close to Malik.
Malik was one of the persons accused of playing a crucial role in the bombing of the Air India Flight 182 Kanishka. On June 23, 1985, Kanishka, which was operating at Montreal-London-Delhi-Mumbai route, exploded near the Irish coastline killing all 329 persons on board. The incident came at the peak of the insurgency in Punjab, and was traced to Babbar Khalsa modules in Canada.
Malik was acquitted in 2005, and had visited India in December 2019 after his name was removed from the black list.
During that tour, he stayed in Delhi, and visited Andhra Pradesh and Punjab. In a letter written on January 17, 2022, Malik praised the decision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to declare December 26 as Veer Baal Divas in memory of the martyrdom of the sons of Guru Gobind Singh.
Initial reports suggest that a burning car was found near the spot of the crime and that Asian men were spotted near the scene of the incident. The incident took place weeks after the death of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala who was alleged to have been shot dead by gangsters linked with elements in Canada.
