Pictures: Satnam Trust founder Ripudaman Singh shot dead by masked assailants in Canada's Surrey

New Delhi, July 15

One-time supporter of the Sikh separatist movement and Canada-based businessman Ripudaman Singh Malik was killed outside his garment store in Surrey in Canada on Thursday morning.

Malik and his Babbar Khalsa associate Ajaib Singh Bagri were in 2005 acquitted in the 1985 Air India Kanishka bombing case.

Malik was shot dead by unknown masked assailants just when he was coming out of his Tesla car after parking it outside his business.

Malik had recently visited India and had praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his Sikh outreach.

His visit was made possible after the government here removed his name from the black list.

Malik was in mid 70s and was founder of the first Khalsa school in Canada and the Khalsa Credit Union Bank.

He also founded the Satnam Trust.

A burnt vehicle was found few blocks away from where Malik was shot just before 9.30 AM Canada time.

British Columbia based journalist Kuldeep Singh told The Tribune that Malik was in the process of opening Khalsa college in City Abbotsford and had bought 13 acre land there for this purpose.

“He was shot from a very close range,” said Singh adding that Malik’s family was in shock.