The tragic death of 114-year-old marathon icon Fauja Singh, known globally as the ‘Turbaned Tornado’, in a hit-and-run near his village in Punjab has led to the arrest of a 30-year-old Canadian NRI, Amritpal Singh, who returned to India just days before the incident. The elderly marathon runner, who had inspired many with his commitment to fitness and resilience, succumbed to his injuries despite being rushed to a hospital, leaving his family and admirers mourning the loss of a living legend.
The Fatal Incident
On Monday afternoon, Fauja Singh was crossing a road in his native Beas village in Jalandhar district when he was hit by a white Toyota Fortuner, later identified through CCTV camera footage as the vehicle responsible for the collision. Popularly celebrated as the ‘Sikh Superman’, Fauja Singh suffered severe head injuries and was immediately taken to a private hospital in Jalandhar. According to his son, Harvinder Singh, his pulse rate dropped critically by the evening, and despite the medical team’s efforts, he could not be revived.
Fauja Singh, who turned to running at the age of 81 after the death of his fifth son in 1994 to cope with his grief, often shared that running helped him deal with emotional pain and loss. His journey and records in marathons around the world made him a symbol of hope and perseverance for many, and his passing has sparked an outpouring of condolences from across the globe.
The Accused and Investigation
Following the incident, Punjab Police identified the suspect as Amritpal Singh, a 30-year-old NRI from Canada who had returned to India eight days prior to the accident. Amritpal Singh, originally from Dasupur village in the Kartarpura sub-division of Jalandhar, had recently purchased the Toyota Fortuner from a Kapurthala resident. At the time of the accident, he was reportedly travelling from Bhogpur to Kishahgarh when he hit Fauja Singh.
According to the police, Amritpal Singh was arrested from his village in connection with the hit-and-run case. During interrogation, Singh admitted to the incident, stating that he was returning home after selling his mobile phone and was unaware that the person he hit was the legendary marathon runner until he learned about the incident from media reports.
The Punjab Police, led by Jalandhar Rural Senior Superintendent of Police Harvinder Singh Virk, confirmed the details of the case, stating that the vehicle had been tracked using CCTV evidence collected from the area. The authorities are continuing the investigation to understand the exact circumstances that led to the collision, while the arrest of Amritpal Singh has brought some progress to the case that has deeply affected the local community and the running fraternity worldwide.
