New WESTMINSTER, British Columbia (AP) – Two men accused of killing former Air India bomber Ripudaman Singh Malik have pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in a Canadian court.
The court in New Westminster, British Columbia, confirmed on Monday the requests of Tanner Fox and Jose Lopez for the shooting death of Malik, who was found not guilty in 2005 of the bombings that killed 331 people in 1985.
Fox and Lopez, who were charged with murder, will appear in court on October 31 for sentencing.
In a statement, Malik’s family said that while the family is “grateful” that Fox and Lopez have been convicted, they urge the two men to cooperate with the police “in prosecuting those who hired them.”
Malik, 75, was shot and killed in his car outside his business in Surrey, British Columbia, on July 14, 2022. He had been a supporter of the separatist Khalistan movement in India.
Malik and his co-accused were acquitted of murder and conspiracy in the 1985 Air India bombings. A high-altitude bombing of another plane caused it to crash into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Ireland, killing all 329 passengers and crew. The terrorist attack was the worst mass killing in Canadian history.
About an hour later, a bomb intended for another Air India flight exploded prematurely at an airport in Japan, killing two people carrying luggage.
Inderjit Singh Reyat, the only man convicted of the bombings, testified at the Malik and Bagri trial and was later convicted of perjury. The suspects in the bombings were Sikhs in the Khalistan movement, an attempt to create a separate Sikh state in the Indian state of Punjab.
Police said before charging Fox and Lopez that people waited in the car for hours waiting for Malik before shooting.
Malik’s son, Jaspreet Singh Malik, said family members had never heard of Fox or Lopez, and had no idea why someone would kill his father.
In a recent statement, the Malik family called the incident a homicide without identifying who they believe was involved.
“Tanner Fox and Jose Lopez were hired to carry out this murder,” the statement said. “Until the parties responsible for hiring and directing this killing are taken action, the work is not finished.
“To Tanner Fox and Jose Lopez we say: You have taken the first good step to be accountable for your actions. Now take the next step and cooperate with the RCMP in bringing those who hired you to justice.”
Earlier this month, Royal Canadian Mounted Commissioner Mike Duheme said the force had launched a special unit to investigate numerous cases of extortion, coercion and violence, including murder, involving Indian government officials.
Duheme said the RCMP was speaking out because of what it sees as a threat to public safety.
Canada has expelled six Indian politicians whom police have named as persons of interest in the cases. They did not specify which murders may be involved in the allegations.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told Parliament last year that there was credible intelligence linking the Indian government to the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a temple leader who was shot in his truck in the parking lot of a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia.
Four suspects have been charged in this murder.
Police suspect that the diplomats used their position to collect information on Canadians within the Khalistan organization.
The Mounties suspect that the diplomats passed this information on to the gangs that were targeting the people directly, an allegation denied by India.
Court documents show that both Fox and Lopez have prior criminal records.
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