Fauja Singh, the 114-year-old marathon legend known as the "Turbaned Tornado", was killed in a road accident in Punjab; the driver has been arrested.
The man accused of running over and killing Fauja Singh, the 114-year-old marathon legend, has been arrested, police said on Wednesday. The accused, Amritpal Singh Dhillon, 26, was picked up from his village Dasupur in Kartarpur, Jalandhar, on Tuesday night. The SUV he was driving — a Toyota Fortuner — has also been seized.
The accident took place on Monday morning near Bias village in Punjab’s Jalandhar district. Singh, known globally as the “Turbaned Tornado”, was out for a walk on the Jalandhar-Pathankot highway, a routine he never gave up even at his age.
According to villagers who witnessed the incident, the speeding SUV hit Singh with such force that he was thrown nearly 5 to 7 feet into the air. He succumbed to his injuries later that evening.
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Identified Through CCTV, Car Fragments
Police said they traced the vehicle using CCTV footage and parts of a broken headlight found at the scene.
"The vehicle's owners have changed more than once (probably resale)," said Harvinder Singh, SSP, Jalandhar Rural.
An FIR has been filed under Sections 281 (rash driving on a public road) and 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Dhillon is currently being questioned.
Sources said his family lives abroad and he had returned to India recently.
From Farmer’s Son to Global Icon
Born in 1911 in a farmer’s family, Fauja Singh started running marathons at the age of 89 — long after most people retire. Despite being born with weak legs and only learning to walk at five, he went on to complete marathons in London, New York, and Hong Kong, and became the first centenarian to finish a full marathon.
His most memorable run came in 2011, at age 100, when he broke multiple world records in Toronto. He earned admiration worldwide, not just for his endurance but for his calm, smiling presence at every race.
Singh lived in the UK for many years and returned to his native Punjab just three years ago after retiring from running. Last year, he walked alongside Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria in an anti-drug walkathon — a cause he cared deeply about.
Tributes Pour In Across Party Lines
Condolences came from all quarters. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called him "extraordinary" and praised the way he inspired generations to embrace fitness. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said Singh made the Sikh community proud around the world. Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini said the news of his death was deeply saddening.
The Punjab Assembly also paid tribute to Singh on Tuesday, with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ravjot Singh moving a resolution in his honour.
