A vehicle with people inside was waiting for Ripudaman Singh Malik hours before he was killed in a parking lot in Surrey, British Columbia, police said.
Malik, 75, was one of two men acquitted of the 1985 Air India terror attacks that killed 331 people.
He was shot in his vehicle in a parking lot not far from his clothing business on Thursday.
Sergeant David Lee of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team told a news conference that a white Honda CRV pulled up near the scene of the shooting around 7 a.m. and Malik was shot and killed around 9:30 that morning.
“The residents were waiting for Mr. Malik,” he said.
The same car was found on fire a short time later not far from where Malik was killed.
Police released a photo and video of the car driving through a strip mall parking lot and asked for the public’s help in finding who was inside.
The driver cannot be seen in the video and the reflection of the sun on the passenger side window makes it difficult to see if there is anyone in that seat. The rear windows are tinted.
“We understand that this is an international story of great importance, but we urge people not to speculate on the motive.” Our homicide detectives will follow the evidence,” Lee said.
Malik and his co-defendant, Ajaib Singh Bagri, were found not guilty in March 2005 of murder and conspiracy in the twin bombings of Air India that killed 331 people on June 23, 1985.
Bombs were planted on two planes. The first plane exploded over the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Ireland, killing all 329 on board.
The second bomb, which was to be transferred to an Air India plane in Tokyo, exploded prematurely, killing two baggage handlers at Narita Airport.
Lee said he could confirm several shots were fired but would not discuss the nature of the injuries because the investigation is ongoing.
An employee of a car wash near the scene of the shooting said he heard the shots and when he came outside he saw Malik shot three times and unconscious in his car.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on July 15, 2022.
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