NEW WESTMINSTER, British Columbia (AP) — Two men accused of killing of former Air India bombing suspect Ripudaman Singh Malik have pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in a Canadian court.
The courthouse in New Westminster, British Columbia, confirmed the pleas on Monday from Tanner Fox and Jose Lopez in the shooting death of Malik, who was acquitted in 2005 of the bombings that killed 331 people in 1985.
Fox and Lopez, who were originally charged with first-degree murder, will next appear in court on Oct. 31 for sentencing.
In a statement, Malik’s family said while the family is “grateful” that Fox and Lopez were brought to justice, they are urging the two men to cooperate with police “in bringing those that hired you to justice.”
Malik, 75, was shot dead in his vehicle outside his business in Surrey, British Columbia, on July 14, 2022. He was a one-time supporter of the separatist Khalistan movement in India.
Malik and a co-defendant were found not guilty of murder and conspiracy in the 1985 Air India bombings. A high-altitude bombing of one plane caused it to crash in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Ireland, killing all 329 passengers and crew. The terror attack was the worst act of mass murder in Canadian history.
Roughly one hour later, a bomb destined for another Air India plane exploded prematurely at an airport in Japan, killing two baggage handlers.
Inderjit Singh Reyat, the only man convicted in the bombings, testified for the prosecution at Malik and Bagri’s trial and was later convicted of perjury. The alleged suspects in the bombings were Sikhs in the Khalistan movement, an effort to create a separate homeland for Sikhs in India’s Punjab state.
Police said before charging Fox and Lopez that people waited for hours in a vehicle for Malik before the shooting.
Malik’s son, Jaspreet Singh Malik, has said family members had never heard of Fox or Lopez, and he did not know why anyone would kill his father.
In the latest statement, the Malik family called the killing an assassination without identifying who they believe to be involved.
“Tanner Fox and Jose Lopez were hired to commit this murder,” the statement said. “Until the parties responsible for hiring them and directing this assassination are brought to justice, the work remains incomplete.
“To Tanner Fox and Jose Lopez we say: You have taken a good first step in taking responsibility for your actions. Now take the next step and co-operate with the RCMP in bringing those that hired you to justice.”
Earlier this month, Royal Canadian Mounted Commissioner Mike Duheme said the force had launched a special unit to investigate multiple cases of extortion, coercion and violence, including murders, linked to agents of the Indian government.
Duheme said the RCMP were speaking out due to what it deemed as a serious threat to public safety.
Canada expelled six Indian diplomats who police have named as persons of interest in the cases. They were not specific about which murders may be involved in the allegations.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told Parliament last year that there was credible intelligence linking India’s government to the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a temple leader shot while in his truck in the parking lot of the gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia.
Four men have been charged in that murder.
Police are alleging that diplomats used their position to collect information on Canadians within the Khalistan movement.
Mounties alleged the diplomats passed the information on to criminal gangs who targeted individuals directly, allegations that India has denied.
Court documents show both Fox and Lopez have previous criminal records.