Mohali, Punjab – A brilliant scientist, a dedicated researcher, and a man who had just returned to his country to serve, Dr. Abhishek Swarnkar, is no more. His crime? Trying to park his own vehicle near his rented house in Mohali’s Sector 67. A simple argument over a parking space turned into a fatal act of violence, once again highlighting the growing intolerance and aggression in urban India.
A Life Dedicated to Science, Cut Short by a Petty Fight
Dr. Swarnkar, 39, originally from Dhanbad, Jharkhand, was no ordinary man. His research was published in prestigious international journals, and he had worked in Switzerland before returning to India to join IISER Mohali as a project scientist. He had also recently undergone a kidney transplant, with his own sister donating her kidney to save his life. But all of that was in vain because one night, in his own neighborhood, he was pushed to the ground and assaulted—over a parking dispute.
CCTV Footage Tells the Story
The tragedy unfolded late on Tuesday night. CCTV footage shows Monty, the accused, standing with a few others near Dr. Swarnkar’s bike. As the scientist walks up to his vehicle, an argument breaks out. Suddenly, Monty pushes Dr. Swarnkar forcefully, making him fall. He then starts beating him up while the scientist’s family rushes in to intervene. Dr. Swarnkar, weakened by his recent medical condition, collapses. He is rushed to the hospital but is declared dead.
A Family’s Pain, A Community’s Shame
His mother, Malti Devi, recounts how her son had been harassed for months over parking.
“He had just returned from IISER. They told him to move his bike. He came upstairs and told me they were harassing him again. Then Monty started shouting, ‘Tu complain karega?’ and pushed him hard. My son fell… and never got up again.”
she said, her voice breaking with grief.
She also revealed how the family, who had moved to the neighborhood in December 2023, had been struggling to find peace in their own home. “No matter where he parked, someone had a problem,” she said. What does it say about us as a society when a scientist, who should have been respected and celebrated, was instead pushed to his death over a trivial issue?
Justice, Or Just Another Case?
The Punjab Police has registered a case under culpable homicide not amounting to murder and is currently searching for Monty, who has gone into hiding. Raids are being conducted, and his phone is being tracked, but will this bring justice? Or will Dr. Swarnkar’s case be just another statistic in the growing trend of violent neighborhood disputes?
A Bigger Question for Urban India
This is not an isolated case. Parking disputes have become battlegrounds in major cities. From Delhi to Mumbai, ordinary citizens are getting into violent fights over something as simple as a parking space. How did we get here? When did we become so intolerant that human life became cheaper than a few square feet of pavement?
Dr. Abhishek Swarnkar’s tragic death should wake us up. It is not just about one man losing his life—it is about the kind of society we are becoming. If we don’t learn to coexist peacefully, how many more lives will be lost over senseless rage?
