Dr Abhishek Swarnkar death: IISER Researcher Succumbs to Parking Dispute

Dr Abhishek Swarnkar death: Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) scientist Dr Abhishek Swarnkar met with a tragic accident after a quarrel with his neighbour over parking in Sector 67, Mohali. The deceased’s family has accused their neighbour Monty (26) of harassing them over parking of Abhishek’s motorcycle for the past one year.

According to Abhishek Swarnkar’s mother Malto Devi, her family bought the house in December 2023 as it was near IISER, where Abhishek was working on his research. But parking soon became the biggest issue. “Abhishek used to change three to four parking spots in the area, but Monty would always complain about it. When Abhishek parked at other places, other neighbours would protest,” she said.

He was also asked to park his bike on the gutter cover, but that surface was uneven. The family, who hailed from Dhanbad in Jharkhand, said that they were not aware of certain parking rules in the area. They also claimed that Monty had often threatened them about this. “He threatened, ‘teri gaadi udaa doonga’ (he will throw away your bike). When Abhishek threatened to complain, Monty forcefully pushed him,” the mother recalled.

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On that fateful day, Abhishek Swarnkar had come up after parking his motorcycle when Monty started shouting near the motorcycle. This led to a heated argument, after which Monty slammed Abhishek to the ground. The researcher fainted and passed out on the spot. Monty reportedly rushed him to a hospital in his SUV, but by then he could not be helped.

Sources had earlier revealed that Abhishek Swarnkar was undergoing treatment for a kidney-related ailment at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGI), which could be one of the reasons for his declining health after the fight.

Phase 11 SHO Gagandeep Singh said, “The postmortem has been done, and the body has been handed over to the family. The cause of death will be known after the viscera report is received.”

The sudden death of Dr Abhishek Swarnkar has left his friends and colleagues in shock. “Abhishek was an outstanding researcher. It is heartbreaking to lose him in such a tragic clash,” said a fellow researcher. Currently, IISER has around 60 post-doctoral researchers who have to live outside the institute campus, as there is no on-campus accommodation available.

Junior students are provided hostel facilities, but senior researchers do not have easy access to quality accommodation. Parking problem in Mohali Over the past decade, Mohali has undergone rapid urbanisation, leading to dense population and a severe parking crunch. Unplanned urban growth has often led to conflicts over parking spaces, leading to tensions among residents. Dr Abhishek Swarnkar was the only son in his family and is survived by his parents and two sisters.

His father also suffers from a kidney-related ailment. The family is now seeking justice, hoping that the authorities will take necessary steps to ensure that such incidents are not repeated in the future.