- Amritpal Singh Dhillon was arrested for hitting 114-year-old Fauja Singh with his car and fleeing
- Fauja Singh died from head injuries after being hit on the Jalandhar-Pathankot highway
- Police identified the vehicle as an old Toyota Fortuner through CCTV and headlight fragments
The Punjab Police on Tuesday night arrested Canada-based Amritpal Singh Dhillon, the man who rammed his car into 114-year-old marathon runner Fauja Singh on the Jalandhar-Pathankot highway and fled the scene. The arrest comes a day after the world's oldest marathon runner, Fauja Singh, died after suffering a head injury in a road accident. The Punjab Police claim to have cracked the case in 30 hours.
In a press briefing, Harvinder Singh Virk, Senior Superintendent of Police, Jalandhar Rural, detailed how they cracked the case and arrested the 26-year-old accused, NRI Amritpal Singh Dhillon.
On Monday, Fauja Singh, popularly known as the "Turbaned Tornado", left his home for a walk after lunch. A CCTV footage of moments before he was moved down shows the runner walking down a road in his native village, Bias. He stops for a couple of seconds before resuming his walk.
Barely 120 meters away from his home, at 3:08 pm, a Toyota Fortuner hit him on the Jalandhar-Pathankot Highway while he was crossing a road. The marathon runner suffered head injuries and was rushed to the hospital, where he died during treatment.
Upon investigation, the police recovered fragments of vehicle's headlight at the crime scene, which is said to have given a crucial lead. The police sent these broken parts to an expert who recognised the make of the car and identified it as an old Fortuner.
The cops then skimmed through the footage of the CCTV installed at the Jalandhar-Pathankot highway where the accident took place, between 3 pm and 4 pm. The police spotted over 40 cars crossing the path and from that, they identified the said Fortuner and the vehicle number.
The number plate revealed that the vehicle was registered in the name of Varinder Singh, a resident of Kapurthala. However, during interrogation, Varinder Singh informed that he had sold his car to the accused.
Accused Amritpal Singh Dhillon Returned From Canada Three Weeks Ago
Amritpal Singh Dhillon, originally from Kartarpur in Jalandhar, lives with his family - mother and three sisters - in Canada. Dhillon, 26, moved to Canada eight years ago, after his father's death and started working as a labourer. He has a work permit valid till 2027.
The accused visits Punjab once a year. This year, he had come to India on June 23 to repair his house. The accused has admitted the crime and said he was returning home after selling his mobile phone when his car hit the ace runner. The police arrested him in his native village.
During interrogation, the accused said he was scared after the accident, which is why he fled. The accused claims he didn't know the victim was Fauja Singh and learnt about him through the news.
