Explained: Why Fauja Singh was so popular, how he died, and who's the accused

Fauja Singh, the legendary Indian-born runner famously called the Turbaned Tornado, has passed away at the age of 114 after a tragic hit-and-run accident in Punjab. Singh, believed to be the world’s oldest marathon runner, was hit by a car while crossing a road near his native village in Jalandhar. He suffered serious head injuries and later died in the hospital.

My Turbaned Tornado is no more. It is with great sadness that I share the passing of my most revered S. Fauja Singh. He was struck by an unidentified vehicle around 3:30 PM today in his village, Bias, while crossing the road. Rest in peace, my dear Fauja . pic.twitter.com/LMFh7TNE8B

— Khushwant Singh (@Singhkhushwant) July 14, 2025

Why Fauja Singh became famous

Fauja Singh became famous for his incredible achievements in long-distance running despite his old age. He took up running at the age of 89 after losing his wife and son in tragic circumstances. His son Kuldip died in a horrific accident when a metal sheet blew off during a storm and decapitated him in front of his father’s eyes. This left Fauja Singh devastated and alone, as his other children had already moved abroad.

He later moved to London to live with his youngest son. During his stay in the United Kingdom, Singh got inspired by the Sikh running community and decided to try running marathons. At the age of 100 in 2011, he ran the Toronto Marathon, becoming the oldest man to complete a full marathon.

He also ran the London Marathon in 2000 at the age of 89, and his best marathon time was 5 hours 40 minutes at Toronto in 2003. He was even a torchbearer for the 2012 London Olympics. Fauja Singh ran his last race in 2013 at the age of 101 in Hong Kong, finishing a 10-km run in 1 hour 32 minutes.

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How he died

The incident occurred on Monday when Fauja Singh was taking a walk near his village Bias in Jalandhar, Punjab. He hit by a speeding car in a hit-and-run case. The vehicle did not stop, and Singh was left with severe head injuries. He was rushed to the hospital but could not survive.

Who is the accused?

Punjab Police quickly began investigating the case and arrested a 30-year-old Non-Resident Indian (NRI) named Amritpal Singh Dhillon within 30 hours. Dhillon, a resident of Kartarpur in Jalandhar, was caught after police traced the white SUV involved in the accident.

During interrogation, Dhillon confessed that he was driving back from Mukerian after selling his phone when he hit an elderly man near Bias village. He claimed he did not realise it was Fauja Singh at the time and only learned of it later through news reports.

The SUV was originally registered to Varinder Singh from Kapurthala, who told police he had sold the vehicle to Dhillon two years ago. After the accident, Dhillon avoided Jalandhar city and took village routes to reach his home.