Ripudman Singh Malik, the man famously dubbed “The Rupee Man”, who was first publicly exposed in an Aaj Magazine feature by writers R. Paul Dhillon (DESIBUZZCanada founder) and Khurram Saeed in the late 1990s for his role and connection to the Air India bombing, was shot dead in a gangland style killing Thursday morning in the Newton area of Surrey. Surrey RCMP announced in a press release Thursday morning that they were investigating a shooting that has left one man dead the Indo-Canadian dominated Newton but did not identify businessman Malik as the victim. Lately Malik was in the news for supporting India’s rightwing PM Narendra Modi, saying Sikh should support him as he is a friend of Sikhs and not get involved in anti-India activities. It’s not known who is behind Malik’s killing but the suspect list would be large from militant Sikhs to Indian government agents and many other dark elements in between.

By Mr. X

SURREY – Ripudman Singh Malik, the man famously dubbed “The Rupee Man”, who was first publicly exposed in an Aaj Magazine feature by writers R. Paul Dhillon (DESIBUZZCanada founder) and Khurram Saeed in the late 1990s for his role and connection to the Air India bombing, was shot dead in a gangland style killing Thursday morning in the Newton area of Surrey.

Surrey RCMP announced in a press release Thursday morning that they were investigating a shooting that has left one man dead the Indo-Canadian dominated Newton but did not identify businessman Malik as the victim.

The release said on July 14, at 9:26 a.m., Surrey RCMP responded to a report of shots fired in the 8200-block of 128 Street. Police attended and located a man suffering from gunshot wounds. The man was provided first aid by attending officers until Emergency Health Services took over his care.

The injured man succumbed to his injuries on scene. This appears to be a targeted shooting. A suspect vehicle was located in the 12200 block of 82 Avenue fully engulfed in fire. The investigation is in the early stages and police are still looking for the suspects and a second vehicle that may have been used as getaway vehicle.

Police said any further information will be provided by Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT).

Anyone with information about this incident, dash camera footage or video surveillance from the area is asked to contact the Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502, or Crime Stoppers, if they wish to remain anonymous, at 1-800-222-8477 or www.solvecrime.ca.

Malik along with Ajaib Singh Bagri were tried for the Air India bombing and both were acquitted for lack of evidence and both fiercely proclaimed their innocence.

Malik is a controversial figure who received loans from State Bank of India in the 1980s and yet was accused by Canadian police of being the financier of the bombing which many Sikhs have said was orchestrated from the behind the scenes by Indian government agents with backing of then PM Indira Gandhi to give Sikhs a bad name internationally. Only one man Inderjit Reyat was convicted of anything connected to the bombing but he is believed not to be the people who actually transported the bombs on to Air India planes.

Lately Malik was in the news for supporting India’s rightwing PM Narendra Modi, saying Sikh should support him as he is a friend of Sikhs and not get involved in anti-India activities. It’s not known who is behind Malik’s killing but the suspect list would be large from militant Sikhs to Indian government agents and many other dark elements in between.

Malik his group also got into a controversy a while ago for illegally printing the Sikh scriptures, The controversial Satnam Education Trust head Malik admitted that indeed his organization, which includes Balwant Singh Pandher, has been printing the “Saroops” of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji without authorization of Akal Takht or Shiromani Gurdwara Prabhandak Committee (SGPC) by Satnam Parchar Religious Society.

The printing of Saroops of Sikh holy book by any individual or organization is prohibited, as per a Hukamnama (an official order) issued by Jathedar Singh Sahib Ranjit Singh Ji on April 9, 1998. By printing saroops without community consultation or permission from Akal Takht Sahib, Malik and his organization have come under fire from local Sikhs as well as the Akal Takht, calling for Malik and Pandher to be punished for hurting Sikh sentiment.

Malik, the former Air India bombing suspect, told a reporter in a recent video interview that he printed the Saroops to spread the Gurus’ great message through the holy book and that if Akal Takht wants to punish him, he’s ready for it, as he was only doing so as service to Sikhi.

 

“Yes we printed the Saroops and I’m ready to face any punishment if I have done anything wrong,” Malik told the reporter.

The BC Sikh Gurdwara Council had given warning and ultimatum to Malik’s organization including a protest outside the Khalsa School in Surrey, to halt printing and return of any saroops to Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara.

The printing equipment was confiscated by local Sikhs with Malik’s agreement and support.

While the matter has been resolved, many Sikhs and supporters of Malik have said that what Malik and his group were doing was a great service to Sikhism as the Gurus’ great Gurbani should be widely spread and printed in English as well.

The Akal Takht had authorised the SGPC and DSGMC to have exclusive legal rights to print ‘birs’, in order to prevent “blasphemous” acts by private publishers. The SGPC has its publication wing in Gurdwara Ramsar Sahib in Amritsar while the DSGMC has set up a printing press in Gurdwara Rakabganj Sahib in Delhi.