Parking scuffle leaves IISER researcher dead in Mohali

A 39-year-old researcher at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Mohali, died after a scuffle with his neighbour over parking, in Sector 67, Mohali, on Tuesday.

The victim was identified as Abhishek Swarnkar, a Bengal native, who was a National Post Doctoral Fellow at the IISER. He was staying in a rented accommodation in Mohali with his parents.

Detailing the sequence of events, police said the victim, who had undergone kidney transplant recently and was undergoing dialysis, had reached home around 8:30 pm. After he parked his bike opposite his house, a neighbour rushed out of the house and picked up an argument.

The furious suspect allegedly punched the victim in the chest following which he fell on the road and lost consciousness. The suspect himself rushed the victim to a private hospital in Sector 62, where he died during treatment. The suspect even hit a vehicle parked near his house while rushing the victim to hospital.

Phase-11 station house officer Gagandeep Singh said, “We have received the complaint from the family and will register the case.”

One of the victim’s two sisters had donated a kidney to the victim, who earlier worked in America and returned to India due to his ill health.

An IISER official, not willing to be named, said Swarnkar was a promising youngster, who had been selected by the Department of Science & Technology to meet Nobel Laureates in 2017.