NRI Arrested for Fatally Hitting Veteran Marathoner Fauja Singh in Punjab

Amritpal Singh Dhillon, a Non-Resident Indian recently returned from Canada, was arrested in Kartarpur late Tuesday for fatally hitting veteran marathoner Fauja Singh with his SUV in Punjab’s Jalandhar district. The arrest came hours after police identified the vehicle involved through CCTV footage.

Police said Dhillon, who had purchased the Toyota Fortuner two years ago, admitted during interrogation that he hit Fauja Singh while returning home after selling his phone in Bhogpur on Monday afternoon. He fled the scene out of fear after the collision.

Senior Superintendent of Police, Jalandhar Rural, Harvinder Singh, said, “We identified the vehicle from CCTV footage and fragments of the vehicle’s headlight recovered from the accident spot. The registration number was tracked, and the suspect was located. Our teams have now arrested the driver and recovered the vehicle.”

The incident occurred on the Jalandhar-Pathankot highway, nearly 400 metres from Fauja Singh’s home, as he was walking in his native village. Eyewitnesses said the 114-year-old runner was tossed 5-7 feet into the air due to the impact. Singh succumbed to his injuries on Monday evening.

An FIR was registered under BNS Sections 281 (rash driving or riding on a public way) and 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) against an unknown driver soon after the incident.

Dhillon told police that the accident happened because the car was speeding, causing him to lose control and hit Singh. The spot where the incident occurred is known for frequent traffic, and concerns have been raised locally about speeding in the area.

The death of Fauja Singh, regarded as the world’s oldest marathon runner, has led to an outpouring of tributes on social media, with many recalling his contribution to sports and his inspiring life journey that included completing marathons past the age of 100.