Fauja Singh loss of life: Who’s the NRI who rammed SUV and killed 114-yr-old marathoner?

Police have arrested the person accused of hitting and killing legendary marathoner Fauja Singh in a tragic highway accident close to his dwelling in Punjab’s Jalandhar district.

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

Singh, extensively considered the world’s oldest marathon runner, died shortly after the accident, sparking shock and grief the world over. Often known as the “Turbaned Twister”, Singh had develop into a worldwide icon for working marathons effectively previous the age of 100.

In accordance with the Police, Dhillon has now been booked underneath related sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, together with rash driving and culpable murder not amounting to homicide.

Right here’s what we all know thus far about him

Who’s Amritpal Singh Dhillon?

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

In accordance with a number of information stories, Dhillon had returned to India from Canada only a week earlier than the tragic incident. He was behind the wheel of the white Toyota Fortuner that hit Singh on July 14 whereas he was crossing the Jalandhar–Pathankot Freeway close to his dwelling in Beas Pind.

Police have been capable of observe down the SUV utilizing CCTV footage from the realm. The quantity plate led them to Varinder Singh, a resident of Kapurthala, who was listed because the automotive’s registered proprietor.

Upon being questioned, Varinder informed police that he had offered the car to Dhillon two years in the past. This led the investigating staff to Kartarpur, the place Dhillon was arrested on Tuesday evening.

In accordance with a report by News18, Dhillon had offered his cellphone earlier that day in Bhogpur and was on his means dwelling when the incident occurred. The First Data Report (FIR) famous that the car was rushing and that after hitting Fauja Singh, Dhillon didn’t cease to assist or take him to the hospital, an motion that may have saved the aged man’s life.

Dhillon has confessed to the hit-and-run. In his assertion to police, he reportedly stated he panicked and fled after realising he had hit somebody. He admitted that worry saved him from going again.

In a report by India Immediately, Dhillon claimed he didn’t initially know the sufferer was Fauja Singh and solely discovered by means of media stories later. Fauja had suffered severe head accidents and handed away on the hospital.

Singh’s final stroll to his beloved dhaba

On the day of the accident, Fauja Singh was reportedly strolling to a roadside dhaba run by his household in Beas Pind — a spot that meant quite a bit to him.

The eatery was named after his fifth son, who had tragically died in an accident throughout its development again in 1994.

As per The Occasions of India, the 114-year-old would usually stroll the brief 400-metre distance from his dwelling to the dhaba each few days.

“He visited us each few days, had a easy meal, and sat for tea. It was a sort of pilgrimage for him — to be close to his son’s picture,” stated Gurdeep Singh, who helps handle the eatery. “Individuals would usually take selfies with him. We have been proud to have him right here.”

That day, as Singh was crossing the freeway close to the dhaba, the accident occurred.

“He lay face down after we reached him,” stated Gurpreet Singh, an area resident who rushed to assist. “We solely realised it was him after we turned him over. It was devastating.”

Although he was acutely aware and capable of reply initially, his situation rapidly worsened. Singh handed away later that very same day.

Who was Fauja Singh?

Singh, popularly referred to as ‘Turbaned Twister’, was a worldwide icon. Born on April 1, 1911, in Beas Pind, Punjab, he lived by means of a number of the greatest occasions of recent historical past, together with each world wars, two pandemics, and the Partition of India in 1947.

Within the Nineties, Singh moved to England to stay with one in every of his sons. The loss of life of his son Kuldeep and his spouse pushed him to search for a brand new function in life, one thing to maintain him going.

“Operating gave him a brand new focus in life, made it price residing,” his coach and shut companion Harmander Singh informed The New York Occasions in 2010.

On the age of 89, he made his marathon debut on the London Marathon in 2000. The feat drew consideration globally. Over time, he went on to take part in marathons throughout cities like Toronto and New York.

Singh was chosen as a torchbearer for each the 2004 Athens Olympics and the 2012 London Olympics. He additionally featured in Adidas’ “Nothing Is Not possible” marketing campaign in 2003 alongside David Beckham and Muhammad Ali.

In 2005, then-Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf invited him to the primary Lahore Marathon, and Queen Elizabeth II welcomed him to Buckingham Palace the next yr.

In 2013, Singh took half within the Hong Kong Marathon, the place he accomplished the 10K run in 1 hour, 32 minutes, and 28 seconds. Quickly after, he retired from aggressive working on the age of 102, although he continued working for well being and charity.

The previous runner, who spent most of his marathon years within the UK, returned to his hometown round three years in the past after retirement.

Final yr, he joined Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria in a walkathon geared toward elevating consciousness towards drug abuse.

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