Driver of SUV that ran over veteran marathoner Fauja Singh arrested

Chandigarh: Police have arrested a Canada-based man who allegedly drove his SUV over Fauja Singh, killing the world's oldest marathoner. Officials said the accused had returned home in Punjab just three weeks ago.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Jalandhar Rural, Harvinder Singh, told a press conference that Amritpal Singh Dhillon (26) was arrested on Tuesday night and his vehicle has also been seized.

Dhillon, a native of Kartarpur, had gone to Canada on a tourist visa but got a work permit there, which is valid till 2027, the officer said, adding that the accused came to India late last month.

He was nabbed from his Kartarpur home.

The SSP told reporters that Dhillon was driving his SUV fast as he was in a hurry for some work. "He got scared after hitting Fauja Singh, and that is why he did not stop his car at the spot," Singh said.

The accused also told police that he had got one of the tyres of the car changed on the day of the incident.

During questioning, the accused revealed that his car was moving at a high speed when it hit Fauja Singh, who was crossing the road. The SSP said it was Dhillon's responsibility to stop the vehicle at the time of the accident and should have taken Fauja Singh to a hospital.

Dhillon had allegedly hit Fauja Singh (114) on the highway in the veteran runner's native village of Bias in Punjab's Jalandhar district. Fauja Singh was walking down the Jalandhar-Pathankot highway when the incident occurred, and he succumbed to injuries on Monday evening.

According to villagers, Singh was tossed five to seven feet in the air after being hit by the vehicle.

Following the incident, an FIR was registered against the driver under sections 281 (rash driving or riding on a public way) and 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, police said.

SSP Singh had told PTI on Tuesday that police have identified the vehicle, a Punjab-registered Toyota Fortuner, from CCTV footage and with fragments of the vehicle's headlight recovered from the accident spot.

"The vehicle's owners have changed more than once (probably resale)," he had said over the phone.

Leaders cutting across party lines condoled the marathoner's death, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying he was extraordinary because of his unique persona and the manner in which he inspired the youth of India on fitness.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday said the veteran marathon runner made the Sikh community around the world proud with his long-distance running. His Haryana counterpart, Nayab Singh Saini, said the news of Fauza Singh's demise was deeply saddening.

The Punjab Assembly on Tuesday paid tributes to Fauja Singh. On the concluding day of the special session of the assembly, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ravjot Singh moved a proposal for paying tributes to Singh in the House.

The widely-admired 114-year-old's career as a marathon runner began when he was 89 and propelled him to the status of a global icon, gaining the nickname "Turbaned Tornado" for his endurance and athleticism.

Born in 1911 into a family of farmers, Fauja Singh was the youngest of four siblings. He became the first centenarian to complete a marathon, earning multiple records while participating in international events.

He went on to run marathons, including the famed ones in London, New York and Hong Kong, and inspire awe for clocking some brilliant timings for a 90-plus man born with weak legs.

Among the most memorable of his runs was in 2011 when he turned 100. The invitational meet in Toronto was named in his honour, and he broke several world records for his age group.

The frail man, who weathered many personal storms with his resilience and "nonchalance", had spent a better part of his running career in Britain and returned to his roots just about three years ago after retiring.

Last year, Singh, in a symbolic gesture, joined Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria in a walkathon to spread awareness against drug abuse.