Tanner Fox, one of the two men who admitted to the contract killing of Ripudaman Singh Malik, has been sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 20 years.
A British Columbia Supreme Court judge delivered the sentence on Tuesday, accepting a joint submission from both the prosecution and defence. Given that second-degree murder carries an automatic life sentence, the parole ineligibility period was set at 20 years.
Malik, 75, was fatally shot in July 2022 while sitting in his car outside his Surrey-based business. An agreed statement of facts confirmed that Fox and his accomplice, Jose Lopez, were hired and compensated for carrying out the murder. However, the individuals who orchestrated the hit remain unidentified, as police and prosecutors have not disclosed that information.
Both Fox and Lopez were initially charged with first-degree murder but later pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of second-degree murder. Lopez is scheduled to appear in court again on February 6 for sentencing.
Malik was previously charged in connection with the 1985 Air India bombings, which resulted in the deaths of 331 people. However, he was acquitted of all charges in 2005.
The case has drawn significant public attention due to its connections to both historical events and ongoing concerns over contract killings in the region. Authorities continue to investigate potential links to those who ordered the murder.