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

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

Since then, his murder has become deeply intertwined 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 has raised complex questions.

What is the Ripudaman Singh murder case?

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

The explosion, the worst aviation-related terrorist attack in Canadian history, was blamed on the Babbar Khalsa group. Malik was initially charged due to his alleged links to Talwinder Singh Parmar, the suspected mastermind of the attack.

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

Prosecutor Matthew Stacey revealed that the two men had been hired and paid to kill Malik, but refused to reveal who ordered the killing. In dramatic courtroom scenes, Fox and Lopez even fought each other during their guilty pleas, requiring security to intervene.

Malik’s family expressed their grief in a statement, saying: “We have lost our father, brother, husband and grandfather, as well as a tireless community leader.” They also stated that although Fox and Lopez had been apprehended, the “work remains unfinished” until the people behind the murder are brought to justice.

What is the Nijjar link?

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

Malik had been targeted by Nijjar and other pro-Khalistan factions in the months leading up to his assassination. Malik’s public praise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February 2022, where he praised Modi’s efforts for the Sikh community, further fueled tensions.

Malik had become an object of ridicule and opposition from Nijjar and his close associate Moninder Singh Boyle, former president of the Sri Dashmesh Darbar Gurdwara. Credible intelligence reports indicated that this hostility stemmed from Malik’s return to Canada in 2019 after a visit to India, where he had been allowed to print copies of the Sikh sacred text, the Sri Guru Granth Sahib.

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This approval, given by the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC), angered Khalistani radicals such as Nijjar, who accused Malik of distorting the holy book and its label; made him a “Quam ka Gaddar” (traitor to the Sikh community).

Nijjar and Boyle escalated the smear campaign against Malik by making public speeches and distributing pamphlets urging the community to socially boycott him. A controversial speech by Nijjar on January 23, 2021 directly called for ‘teaching Malik a lesson’.

This aggressive opposition coincided with rumors that Malik was under constant threat, a suspicion that Malik himself expressed in media interviews.

Was Nijjar’s murder in retaliation 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 Advisor Jody Thomas testified that Nijjar’s murder may have been an act of retaliation for Malik’s murder. She explained that initial intelligence suggested the two high-profile murders were linked.

“It (Nijjar’s murder) was the second high-profile murder in the same gurdwara,” Thomas stated. “Mr. Malik’s murder had 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, especially within intelligence circles.

Despite these speculations, however, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made an explosive claim in Parliament, accusing the Indian government of orchestrating an “extrajudicial killing” of Nijjar. This accusation, based on intelligence from the Five Eyes alliance, has led to diplomatic tensions between India and Canada.

What are the diplomatic consequences?

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

New Delhi accused Trudeau of playing to his Sikh vote bank, while insisting Canada has not provided evidence to support his claims.

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

While the Malik 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 had supported Nijjar and suggested he was targeted because of his political views. However, these claims are not supported by any evidence.

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With input from authorities