The son of a polarizing man speaks out about his father’s legacy in an apparent targeted murder Thursday in Surrey, BC.
Ripudaman Singh MalikThe 75-year-old was shot and killed Thursday morning in Surrey’s Newton Neighborhood. Malik was one of two people acquitted in the 1985 Air India terrorist bombings that killed 331 people, most of them from Vancouver and Toronto.
In an interview with Global News on Thursday, Jasprit Malik said that his father was wrongly accused.
Jaspreet said that his father devoted his life to serving the community, helping to establish Sikh-religion Khalsa Schools and the Khalsa Credit Union, a cooperative with the aim of keeping the community’s money in his hands. Is.
“I’ve heard people say, oh, was your father charged with Air India? And yes, he was wrongly charged with Air India, but I think the important thing is if someone has ever read 500 pages of that decision, Mr. Justice (Bruce) Josephson says there is no evidence to link them to any theory the Crown had about that bombing,” he said.
“The bulk of his life was his community, his family and the legacy he left with. Khalsa School, Khalsa Credit Union, five children, eight grandchildren.
Jasprit described his father as a man who put education above all else, and who taught him to understand that he could succeed in mainstream Canadian culture while maintaining his Sikh faith, including his beard and turban. Huh.
He said that although there were some “grumblings” his father should have been careful about immediately after the trial, the family never lived in fear of reprisal because of allegations of his role in the bombing.
He said the family was still struggling to accept Malik’s death.
A timeline of the 1985 Air India bombing and the acquittal of Ripudaman Singh Malik, death
“My daughter is 11 years old. I haven’t told my daughter yet that her grandfather has passed away. I don’t even know how to explain that to her,” he said.
“Her grandfather, who has always been telling her to work hard and work hard, the way she plays hockey, is always motivating her to keep excelling in her hockey and get a straight A. Those are the two things I wish for you. How do I explain this to him? I mean, we’re struggling.”
The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team of the Lower Mainland said Thursday that it had yet to determine the motive for Malik’s murder, but “the shooting appears to be targeted.”
Anyone watching the shooting or traveling in the area of 122nd Street and 82nd Avenue between 9:15 a.m. and 10 a.m. or shooting the video should contact IHIT at 1-877-551-IHIT (4448) are asked to contact. ihitinfo@rcmp-grc.gc.ca,
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