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Thenewsdose.com
Jalandhar/Chandigarh,July 16
In a major breakthrough in the hit-and-run case that claimed the life of 114-year-old marathon legend Fauja Singh, Punjab Police have arrested Amritpal Singh Dhillon, a Non-Resident Indian (NRI), in Kartarpur, his hometown in Jalandhar district.
Amritpal, who had recently returned from Canada, was identified as the driver of the Toyota Fortuner SUV that fatally struck Singh on Monday afternoon while he was walking along the Jalandhar-Pathankot highway, near his native village.
Accused Admits to the Crime
During interrogation, Amritpal confessed to having hit Fauja Singh while returning from Bhogpur, where he had gone to sell his mobile phone. He told police that the SUV was moving at high speed and he panicked after the collision, fleeing the scene immediately.
The SUV had been purchased two years ago from a man named Ravindra Singh of Rurhampur. The vehicle had reportedly changed ownership multiple times, making initial identification difficult.
CCTV Footage Helped Crack the Case
Speaking to news agency PTI, Senior Superintendent of Police (Jalandhar Rural) Harvinder Singh confirmed that the breakthrough came through CCTV footage, which showed the vehicle involved in the accident. From the site, police had recovered a fragment of the left headlight, matching the damage seen in the footage.
“We identified the vehicle as a Punjab-registered Toyota Fortuner. The registration number was partially visible and traceable. Once confirmed, we tracked down the vehicle and its current owner,” the SSP said.
FIR Registered; Last Rites to Follow
A First Information Report (FIR) was registered soon after the incident under sections 281 (rash driving on a public way) and 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Eyewitnesses described the collision as severe, with some saying that Fauja Singh was flung 5–7 feet in the air due to the impact. The accident occurred just 400 metres from Singh’s home. The legendary marathoner succumbed to his injuries later that evening.
Singh’s last rites are expected to be performed in the coming days, according to family members.
