NRI From Canada Arrested In Iconic Runner Fauja Singh Hit-And-Run Case

The man who allegedly rammed his car into 114-year-old marathon runner Fauja Singh on the Jalandhar-Pathankot highway has been arrested, police said on Wednesday.

Amritpal Singh Dhillon, a 26-year-old non-resident Indian (NRI), was arrested about 30 hours after Singh, popularly known as 'Turbaned Tornado', suffered head injuries in a hit-and-run accident while he was crossing the road at his native village near Jalandhar in Punjab. Singh was taken to the hospital, where he later died.

A Punjab-registered Toyota Fortuner, which was allegedly involved in the hit-and-run on Monday, has also been seized.

Dhillon, originally from Kartarpur in Jalandhar, had gone to Canada on a tourist visa but got a work permit there, which is valid till 2027, a senior police officer told reporters after his arrest. He said the accused came to India late last month.

Multiple teams of the police zeroed in on Dhillon after his car was identified using CCTV footage. The number plate revealed that the vehicle was registered in the name of Varinder Singh, a resident of Kapurthala.

The police then interrogated Singh, who said he had sold his car to the accused. Dhillon was then caught in his village.

He admitted to the crime and said he was returning home after selling his mobile phone, sources said.

Dhillon said he didn't know the victim was Fauja Singh, and came to know about him through the news.

The Fauja Singh Story

Born on April 1, 1911, in a farming family, Fauja Singh moved to England in the early 90s after the death of his wife. He took up running after his son died in 1994.

In 2000, at the age of 89, he made his debut at the iconic London marathon and went on to participate in Toronto, New York, and other cities within his age group.

Fauja Singh during a practice at a park in Hong Kong in 2013 (Photo Credit: REUTERS)

He became the oldest man to run a full marathon in 2011 at the age of 100 in Toronto.

A torchbearer for the 2004 Athens Games and the 2012 London Olympics, Fauja Singh ran his last competitive race in 2013 at the age of 101, finishing the Hong Kong Marathon's 10-kilometre race in 1 hour, 32 minutes, 28 seconds.

Medals and certificates won by Fauja Singh (Photo Credit: PTI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to Singh, saying he was “extraordinary because of his unique persona and the manner in which he inspired the youth of India on a very important topic of fitness".

"He was an exceptional athlete with incredible determination. Pained by his passing away. My thoughts are with his family and countless admirers around the world," he posted on X.