NRI Arrested in Hit-and-Run Death of Iconic Marathoner Fauja Singh

A Non-Resident Indian (NRI) from Canada has been arrested in connection with the hit-and-run case that led to the tragic death of legendary marathon runner Fauja Singh. The 114-year-old athlete, affectionately known as the ‘Turbaned Tornado’, sustained critical injuries after being struck by a vehicle on the Jalandhar-Pathankot highway near his native village in Punjab. He was rushed to the hospital but succumbed to his injuries.

The accused, identified as Amritpal Singh Dhillon, 30, was taken into custody two days after the incident. He was apprehended in his village after police traced the vehicle involved using CCTV footage. Authorities have also seized the Punjab-registered Toyota Fortuner allegedly used in the incident.

Car Linked Through CCTV, Registration Data

According to police sources, the SUV’s registration number led them to a man named Varinder Singh, a resident of Kapurthala, who revealed that he had sold the car to Dhillon. Acting on this information, the police tracked down and arrested the accused.

Dhillon, who arrived in India just a week ago, confessed during interrogation. He claimed he was unaware of the victim’s identity and only learned it was Fauja Singh after watching news reports. He also told investigators that the accident occurred while he was returning home after selling his mobile phone.

Remembering Fauja Singh

Fauja Singh was born on April 1, 1911, in a farming family in Punjab. He moved to England in the early 1990s following the death of his wife and took up running as a form of solace after losing his son in 1994.

Singh made headlines worldwide when he began competitive running at the age of 89, debuting at the 2000 London Marathon. He went on to participate in races in Toronto, New York, and other cities. In 2011, he made history by becoming the oldest person to complete a full marathon, at the age of 100, in Toronto.

He also served as a torchbearer for the 2004 Athens Olympics and the 2012 London Olympics, and ran his final competitive race at age 101, completing the 10-km Hong Kong Marathon in 1 hour, 32 minutes, and 28 seconds.

The passing of Fauja Singh marks the end of an inspiring era in athletics, and the incident has sparked grief and outrage across the country.

Let me know if you’d like this translated into Gujarati, or rewritten for a TV script or social media post.