Ripudaman Singh Malik, a businessman from Vancouver who had been exonerated in the 1985 Air India bombing case in 2005, was fatally shot on Thursday morning in Surrey.
One of the two terrorists who was remanded to judicial prison in Vancouver, British Columbia, was Ripudaman Singh Malik, a resident of British Columbia and a native of Punjab.
Malik was a member of the terrorist group Babbar Khalsa, which has been linked to numerous attacks in Punjab. Talwinder Singh Parmar, who presided over one of the Babbar Khalsa factions before being assassinated by the Punjab Police in 1992, was also his close friend.
Malik, who immigrated to Canada in 1972, first worked as a cab driver before becoming a successful businessman. He is thought to have contributed to funding the bombing of the Kanishka, per Canadian sources.
Was Ripudaman Singh Malik Shot Dead? Surrey Shooting Update
Ripudaman Singh Malik may have been shot dead because, according to the Indian Hindustan Times newspaper, on January 18, he allegedly wrote a letter to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He shared his “deep heartfelt gratitude” for the government’s “unprecedented positive steps taken for the Sikh community.”
Per a press statement from the Surrey RCMP, they responded to a gunfire report on Thursday in the 8200-block of 128 Street. Police discovered a man with gunshot wounds.
Assisting cops first gave the victim assistance until emergency medical services took over his treatment. On the scene, the victim died from his wounds.
Police stated that “this appears to be a targeted shooting.” The suspect car was discovered completely on fire in the 12200-block of 82 Avenue.
Police are still seeking the suspects and a second car that might have been used as a getaway car as the inquiry is still in its early stages. The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) has been contacted to conduct the investigation.
Anyone with information regarding this event, dash camera footage, or local video surveillance is urged to call the Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502 or Crime Stoppers if they choose to remain anonymous at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.solvecrime.ca.
Ripudaman Singh Malik Net Worth
Ripudaman Singh Malik and his wife declared $11.6 million in net worth at a bond hearing in 2000, according to Doust, indicating he clearly had the resources to fund his legal defense team.
Malik presided over the 16,000-member Khalsa Credit Union (KCU), situated in Vancouver, which is said to have $110 million in assets. According to Canadian authorities, Malik oversaw two Khalsa educational organizations that received funding from the British Columbian government.
Due to the alleged financial support they gave to the widow of Talvinder Singh Parmar, these academic institutions and the KCU have frequently drawn controversy.
According to Canadian news reports, Malik reportedly sent money to the Federal Liberal Party and attended fundraisers for Canadian Premier Jean Chretien.
It is alleged that during the RCMP investigations, Malik communicated with Ujjal Dosanjh, the Indo-Canadian Premier of British Columbia and concurrently the province’s Attorney General.
According to sources in Canada, the RCMP carried out primary searches on KCU in 1999 to investigate the operations of the International Sikh Youth Federation, which held meetings at the Khalsa school connected to KCU.
Malik and Ajaib Singh Bagri are members of the fundamentalist part of the Sikh community in Canada, and it is said that they engaged in frequent violent conflict with more moderate groups in an effort to gain control of wealthy gurudwaras.
Meet Ripudaman Singh Malik Wife
Ripudaman Singh Malik was married to his wife, Ravinder. They shared children together. However, their identity is hidden.
Malik oversaw Khalsa schools in Canada and was found not guilty in 2005 of the 1985 bombing of the Air India Kanishka.
In addition to the Vancouver Education Board curriculum, Punjabi language and culture are taught at the Khalsa school. Students who study the Sikh religion, especially kirtan, over the summer break.