One of the two men acquitted in the Air India bombing case a year ago is pushing to build two new Sikh religious schools in Surrey, B.C.

Businessman Ripudaman Singh Malik is the founder of the Satnam Education Society, which opened the first Khalsa School in Vancouver in 1986 and a second Sikh school in Surrey in 1992.

He showed up at a recent meeting of Surrey city council to make the case for the proposed schools.

Ripudaman Singh Malik lobbied for two new schools at a city council meeting in Surrey, B.C. (File photo)
Ripudaman Singh Malik lobbied for two new schools at a city council meeting in Surrey, B.C. (File photo)

His son, Jaspreet Malik, who is on the board of directors of the education society, said the area needs a new elementary school and a new high school.

"We have a waiting list of about 200 students, and there's demand in the community to increase the spaces," he said.

Ripudaman Singh Malik and a second man, Ajaib Singh Bagri, were acquitted on March 17, 2005, on charges of conspiracy and mass murder.

The charges were laid in connection with two bombings that killed 331 people in 1985.

The victims included 329 people who were on board Air India Flight 182 when it blew up off Ireland. Another bomb killed two baggage handlers at Japan's Narita airport who had been dealing with a bag from another Air India flight that originated in Vancouver.

A veteran Surrey city councillor, Marvin Hunt, said the fact that the senior Malik is associated with the proposed schools doesn't matter to him.

"The courts have made their decision," he said. "The Khalsa School is a very successful school and we want to work with it."

Ripudaman Singh Malik is still fighting other battles related to the Air India case. For example, he will be in court later in March in an attempt to reclaim his position on the board of the Khalsa Credit Union.

The B.C. Financial Institutions Commission removed Malik from that role because it alleged he had terrorist connections.