Fauja Singh death: Who is the NRI who rammed SUV and killed 114-yr-old marathoner?

Police have arrested the man accused of hitting and killing legendary marathoner Fauja Singh in a tragic road accident near his home in Punjab’s Jalandhar district.

The accused, Amritpal Singh Dhillon, was taken into custody on Tuesday night from Kartarpur, where he resides. Dhillon was reportedly behind the wheel of the speeding SUV that struck 114-year-old Singh on July 14 as he was crossing the Jalandhar–Pathankot Highway in Beas Pind.

Singh, widely regarded as the world’s oldest marathon runner, died shortly after the accident, sparking shock and grief across the world. Known as the “Turbaned Tornado”, Singh had become a global icon for running marathons well past the age of 100.

According to the Police, Dhillon has now been booked under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including rash driving and culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

Here’s what we know so far about him

Who is Amritpal Singh Dhillon?

Amritpal Singh Dhillon, the man accused of fatally hitting 114-year-old marathon legend Fauja Singh, is a Non-Resident Indian (NRI) originally from Dasupur village near Kartarpur in Punjab’s Jalandhar district.

According to multiple news reports, Dhillon had returned to India from Canada just a week before the tragic incident. He was behind the wheel of the white Toyota Fortuner that hit Singh on July 14 while he was crossing the Jalandhar–Pathankot Highway near his home in Beas Pind.

Police were able to track down the SUV using CCTV footage from the area. The number plate led them to Varinder Singh, a resident of Kapurthala, who was listed as the car’s registered owner.

Upon being questioned, Varinder told police that he had sold the vehicle to Dhillon two years ago. This led the investigating team to Kartarpur, where Dhillon was arrested on Tuesday night.

According to a report by News18, Dhillon had sold his phone earlier that day in Bhogpur and was on his way home when the incident occurred. The First Information Report (FIR) noted that the vehicle was speeding and that after hitting Fauja Singh, Dhillon did not stop to help or take him to the hospital, an action that might have saved the elderly man’s life.

Dhillon has confessed to the hit-and-run. In his statement to police, he reportedly said he panicked and fled after realising he had hit someone. He admitted that fear kept him from going back.

In a report by India Today, Dhillon claimed he did not initially know the victim was Fauja Singh and only found out through media reports later. Fauja had suffered serious head injuries and passed away at the hospital.

Singh’s last walk to his beloved dhaba

On the day of the accident, Fauja Singh was reportedly walking to a roadside dhaba run by his family in Beas Pind — a place that meant a lot to him.

The eatery was named after his fifth son, who had tragically died in an accident during its construction back in 1994.

As per The Times of India, the 114-year-old would often walk the short 400-metre distance from his home to the dhaba every few days.

“He visited us every few days, had a simple meal, and sat for tea. It was a kind of pilgrimage for him — to be near his son’s photo,” said Gurdeep Singh, who helps manage the eatery. “People would often take selfies with him. We were proud to have him here.”

That day, as Singh was crossing the highway near the dhaba, the accident happened.

“He lay face down when we reached him,” said Gurpreet Singh, a local resident who rushed to help. “We only realised it was him when we turned him over. It was devastating.”

Though he was conscious and able to respond initially, his condition quickly worsened. Singh passed away later that same day.

Who was Fauja Singh?

Singh, popularly known as ‘Turbaned Tornado’, was a global icon. Born on April 1, 1911, in Beas Pind, Punjab, he lived through some of the biggest events of modern history, including both world wars, two pandemics, and the Partition of India in 1947.

In the 1990s, Singh moved to England to live with one of his sons. The death of his son Kuldeep and his wife pushed him to look for a new purpose in life, something to keep him going.

“Running gave him a new focus in life, made it worth living,” his coach and close companion Harmander Singh told The New York Times in 2010.

At the age of 89, he made his marathon debut at the London Marathon in 2000. The feat drew attention globally. Over the years, he went on to participate in marathons across cities like Toronto and New York.

Singh was selected as a torchbearer for both the 2004 Athens Olympics and the 2012 London Olympics. He also featured in Adidas’ “Nothing Is Impossible” campaign in 2003 alongside David Beckham and Muhammad Ali.

In 2005, then-Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf invited him to the first Lahore Marathon, and Queen Elizabeth II welcomed him to Buckingham Palace the following year.

In 2013, Singh took part in the Hong Kong Marathon, where he completed the 10K run in 1 hour, 32 minutes, and 28 seconds. Soon after, he retired from competitive running at the age of 102, though he continued running for health and charity.

The former runner, who spent most of his marathon years in the UK, returned to his hometown around three years ago after retirement.

Last year, he joined Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria in a walkathon aimed at raising awareness against drug abuse.

With input from agencies