Canada resident arrested for Fauja Singh hit-and-run
Amritpal Singh Dhillon was arrested on Tuesday after being tracked by police in India following the death of Singh, the world's oldest marathon runner
HiraV/WC
On Tuesday, after a meticulous investigation in Punjab, India, police arrested a suspect in connection with the fatal hit-and-run that killed 114-year-old marathon icon Fauja Singh. Per local news, 26-year-old Amritpal Singh Dhillon, who lives in Canada, was taken into custody and charged with culpable homicide and rash driving.
Amritpal Singh Dhillon from Canada Arrested for Hitting 114-Year-Old Marathon Runner Fauja Singh
The driver who hit 114-year-old marathon runner Fauja Singh has been arrested. The accused, Amritpal Singh Dhillon, a non-resident Indian (NRI) from Canada, had arrived in India… pic.twitter.com/19pAEHTfby
— Gagandeep Singh (@Gagan4344) July 16, 2025
Singh, the world’s oldest marathoner, was struck on Monday afternoon while crossing the road near his home; he was taken to hospital in Jalandhar with severe head injuries and died later that evening.
According to police superintendent Harvinder Singh Virk, Dhillon fled the scene out of fear. He later confessed, telling authorities he hadn’t realized the victim was Singh until he saw news reports. “[I] realised what I had done when I found TV channels reporting Fauja Singh’s death,” Dhillon reportedly said–yet still did not come forward. Police tracked him down using CCTV footage and damaged parts of the vehicle recovered at the scene.
Dhillon, originally from Jalandhar, moved to Canada eight years ago with his mother and sisters. He holds a work visa–valid until 2027–and visits Punjab annually. He arrived in India on June 23.
World’s oldest marathoner, Fauja Singh, struck and killed by vehicle–at age 114
Known globally as the “Turbaned Tornado,” Singh began running at 89, and rose to fame after becoming the first 100-year-old–and oldest person ever–to complete a marathon, running the Toronto Waterfront Marathon in 8:11:06. He retired from racing in 2013 at 101. Despite his many outstanding performances, Singh was never recognized with any official world records as he did not have a birth certificate–a common circumstance for those born around that time.
