What is the Ripudaman Singh murder case? Why was Hardeep Singh Nijjar a suspect? – First post

The murder of Ripudaman Singh Malik, accused of the 1985 Air India bombing, shocked the Canadian public in July 2022.

Since then, his assassination has become deeply entwined with historical events, political controversies and religious factions within the Sikh community. As new details emerge, Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s involvement in the saga raises complex questions.

What is the Ripudaman Singh murder case?

On July 14, 2022, 75-year-old Ripudaman Singh Malik was shot and killed outside his business in Surrey, British Columbia. In 2005, Malik was acquitted of involvement in the 1985 Air India Flight 182 bombing, a terrorist attack carried out by Khalistan supporters that killed 329 people.

The explosion, the worst aviation-related terrorist attack in Canadian history, was attributed to the Babbar Khalsa group. Malik was initially accused of his alleged links with Talwinder Singh Parmar, who was suspected of organizing the attack.

Tanner Fox and Jose Lopez, two men with known gang ties, were arrested on Monday. They pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and their sentencing was set for October 31 of this year.

Prosecutor Matthew Stacey revealed that both men were hired and paid to kill Malik, but refused to reveal who ordered the murder. In dramatic scenes in the courtroom, Fox and Lopez argued even during their guilty pleas, requiring security to intervene.

Malik’s family expressed their sadness in a statement, saying: “We have lost a father, a brother, a husband and a grandfather, as well as a tireless community leader.” They also stated that although Fox and Lopez have been detained, “the work remains incomplete” until the people behind the killing are held accountable.

What is the Nijjar connection?

Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the leader of the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) who was himself assassinated in Surrey a year later, found himself at the center of a growing local dispute involving Malik.

In the months leading up to the murder, Malik had been targeted by Nijjar and other pro-Khalista factions. Malik’s public praise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February 2022, in which he praised Modi’s efforts on behalf of the Sikh community, further fueled tensions.

Malik became the target of ridicule and opposition from Nijjar and his close associate Moninder Singh Boyle, former president of Sri Dashmesh Darbar Gurdwara. Reliable intelligence reports revealed that this reluctance stemmed from Malik’s return to Canada in 2019 after a visit to India, where he obtained permission to print copies of the sacred Sikh text, the Sri Guru Granth Sahib.

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This approval, given by the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC), angered Khalistan radicals like Nijjar, who accused Malik of distorting the holy book and etiquette, making him a “Quam ka Gaddar” (traitor to the Sikh community).

Nijjar and Boyle intensified their smear campaign against Malik, making public speeches and distributing pamphlets calling on the community to boycott him socially. Nijjar’s high-profile speech on January 23, 2021 made a direct call to “teach Malik a lesson.”

This aggressive opposition coincided with rumors of a constant threat to Malik, which Malik himself expressed in media interviews.

Is Nijjar’s deadly revenge for Malik’s death?

On June 18, 2023, Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot dead in Surrey in what Canadian authorities initially considered a gang-related killing. However, former Canadian national security adviser Jody Thomas testified that Nijjar’s murder may have been an act of retaliation for Malik’s murder. She explained that initial intelligence suggested that the two high-profile murders were linked.

“It (Nijjar’s killing) was the second high-profile murder in the same gurdwara,” Thomas said. “Mr. Malik’s murder occurred almost exactly a year earlier. The initial hypothesis was that it was retaliation.”

The theory that Nijjar’s death was part of an ongoing cycle of revenge between rival Sikh factions has gained popularity, particularly in intelligence circles.

However, despite these speculations, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made an explosive statement in parliament accusing the Indian government of organizing the “extrajudicial killing” of Nijjar. This accusation, based on intelligence provided by the Five Eyes alliance, led to diplomatic tensions between India and Canada.

What are the diplomatic implications?

Trudeau’s claims worsened already tense relations between Canada and India. India has denied any involvement in Nijjar’s murder, calling the allegations “absurd” and politically motivated.

New Delhi accused Trudeau of playing into the hands of his Sikh vote bank, while insisting that Canada had provided no evidence to support his claims.

Following these accusations, Canada expelled six Indian diplomats, while India responded by recalling its own envoys from Ottawa. But Trudeau’s explosive speech did little to raise deeper issues surrounding the killings of both Malik and Nijjar.

While Malik’s family continues to demand answers about who hired Fox and Lopez, the investigation into Nijjar’s murder also remains incomplete.

Adding to the landscape is the role of separatist organizations such as Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), led by dual nationality holder Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who promoted the pro-Khalistan “Referendum 2020” campaign. Pannun supported Nijjar, suggesting he was targeted because of his political views. However, these claims were not supported by any evidence.

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With agency input