Who is Amritpal Singh? Canadian NRI Arrested in Tragic Hit-and-Run Death of Marathon Legend Fauja Singh

Punjab Police apprehended a 30-year-old Canadian resident on Wednesday in connection with a hit-and-run incident that claimed the life of renowned marathon runner Fauja Singh. The arrest followed the identification of a white Toyota Fortuner involved in the accident, which struck the 114-year-old runner as he crossed a road near his village in Jalandhar district.

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Jalandhar Rural Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Harvinder Singh Virk confirmed that CCTV footage helped identify the vehicle. Known as the “Turbaned Tornado” and “Sikh Superman,” Fauja Singh sustained severe head injuries in the incident on Monday afternoon in Beas village, Jalandhar. He was rushed to a private hospital but succumbed to his injuries later that evening. “Despite immediate medical attention, his pulse dropped significantly, and doctors could not revive him,” said his son, Harvinder Singh, based in Jalandhar.

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Fauja Singh, a record-holding marathoner, began running after the tragic loss of his fifth son, Kuldeep Singh, in 1994, often citing the sport as a way to cope with personal grief.

Who is the accused?

• The suspect, identified as Amritpal Singh, is a 30-year-old from Dasupur village in Jalandhar’s Kartarpura sub-division, according to initial reports.
  
• Per Hindustan Times, Singh arrived from Canada eight days prior and had recently purchased a white Toyota Fortuner (PB 20c7100) from a Kapurthala resident.
  
• PTI reported that Singh, 26, was driving from Bhogpur to Kishahgarh when he struck Fauja Singh.
  
• NDTV stated that Singh was arrested in his village, where he confessed to the crime, explaining he was returning home after selling his mobile phone.
  
• According to India Today, Singh claimed he was unaware the victim was Fauja Singh and only learned of the marathoner’s death through media reports.