Mohali:
A 39-year-old scientist working at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Mohali, has died after a parking dispute near his rented home in Sector 67 turned violent. Dr Abhishek Swarnkar had an altercation with neighbour Monty on Tuesday night and the latter allegedly pushed him to the ground and punched him.
Originally from Jharkhand’s Dhanbad, Dr Swarnkar was a distinguished scientist whose work was featured in international journals. He worked in Switzerland and had recently returned to India and joined IISER as a project scientist. The scientist had recently undergone a kidney transplant and his sister had donated him one of her kidneys. He was on dialysis. Following the assault, he was rushed to a hospital where he died.
Dr Swarnkar lived in Mohali’s Sector 67 with his parents. A CCTV camera shows some local residents, Monty among them, standing near his bike. Abhishek then walks to the two-wheeler and starts removing it. An argument follows and Monty pushes Dr Swarnkar to the ground and starts hitting him. Their families intervene and pull Monty away. Dr Swarnkar is seen on the ground before other neighbours step out of their homes.
The scientist’s family has demanded strict action against the accused. Police said they had registered a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and were scanning the CCTV footage to plan further action.
The scientist’s tragic death has yet again put the spotlight on how parking disputes in major cities are turning violent. Earlier, videos of neighbours fighting over parking spaces in Delhi and other major cities have gone viral.
