Hooked onto a dialysis machine at a private hospital in Punjab’s Mohali, a devastated Basuki Nath Sonar had just one refrain on Thursday afternoon: “Woh mera Shravan tha (He was an ideal son).”
Across town on that same afternoon, pathologists were conducting the post-mortem examination of Basuki Nath’s “brilliant” son, Abhishek Swarnakar, 39, a project scientist at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Mohali.
A few hours later, on Thursday evening, Abhishek’s nephew conducted his last rites. The civil hospital authorities are yet to reveal the preliminary cause of his death. The only son, he is survived by his parents and two elder sisters, both married.
Abhishek, who had authored over 100 research papers, was declared dead on arrival at Fortis Hospital late on Tuesday, allegedly following a parking dispute with a neighbour in Mohali’s Sector 66.
A native of Jharkhand, Abhishek, who had undergone a kidney transplant in 2008, was back on dialysis at the time of the incident, his relatives said.
According to his peers, Abhishek was involved in “groundbreaking” research work on silver nanoparticles that had the “potential to revolutionise renewable energy”. Another colleague mentioned his research on making solar energy more efficient and accessible to millions.
Project scientist Abhishek Swarnakar’s father Basuki Nath Sonar undergoing dialysis at a private hospital in Mohali on Thursday afternoon. (Express Photo by Jasbir Malhi)
His family said that Abhishek got into an argument with his neighbour Maninder Pal Singh alias Monty, 26, late on Tuesday night. “Abhishek had come home with food for his father, who is undergoing dialysis at a local private hospital. He had parked his bike near a park, which angered Maninder, who started cursing him loudly,” the relative said.
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Basuki Nath, who was at home, reportedly overheard their loud argument and came down to the spot where the duo was arguing. According to the police, the footage reportedly shows Abhishek and Maninder having a heated argument. The neighbour then pushes Abhishek, who falls on the road. The video later shows Abhishek standing up with an unidentified person’s help before collapsing again.
The police said Maninder, who took Abhishek to the hospital, is on the run. Mohali Police Station Phase-11 Station House Officer Gagandeep Singh said, “A case under Section 105 (punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita has been registered against the accused. Efforts are on to nab him.”
Meanwhile, Abhishek’s relative said the researcher had moved his family — his ailing father and mother — to Mohali from Dhanbad in Jharkhand since he felt that health infrastructure in the Punjab town was superior.
In 2008, his sister Shweta had donated one of her kidneys to Abhishek, who had been battling kidney disease for years. A relative said, “His health had deteriorated recently and he was back on dialysis. He was waiting for another transplant. Despite his struggles, he always remained optimistic, often telling his family, ‘I have so much more to do’.”
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Calling Abhishek a “visionary”, one of his colleagues told The Indian Express, “His research papers had the potential to change the world.”
Professor Ujjwal Gautam, Abhishek’s senior, told The Indian Express, “He was a brilliant student. He obtained his doctoral degree (in chemistry) from IISER Pune and later joined IISER Mohali as a project scientist.”
According to an earlier report in The Indian Express, one of Abhishek’s research papers — which shows him as one of the lead authors — was published in Science, a prestigious international journal, on October 9, 2016. At the time of its publication, Abhishek, an integrated PhD student at IISER Pune, was working with a group of international researchers at the US-based National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
Abhishek went to NREL in November 2015, after he was selected for the Bhaskara Advanced Solar Energy Fellowship by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Indo-US Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF) in 2014. At NREL, he presented his idea for research on developing unique material for solar cells, which was approved.
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(From left) Abhishek’s sister Shweta, mother Malti Devi and a relative at their Mohali home on Thursday afternoon. (Express Photo by Jasbir Malhi)
In his 2016 interview with The Indian Express, Abhishek talks about how the overall goal in solar cell research was to produce low-cost, high-efficiency options. “Currently, silicone-based solar cells are available, but they are extremely expensive. The cost often depends on the type of semiconducting material that a solar cell is made of and the processing involved in the manufacturing process. Hence, research has been on to make it cost effective,” he is quoted as saying.
Calling Abhishek “highly motivated and a genius”, his junior, Shiva Kumar Pandey from Jharkhand, said, “He was always helpful, always ready to solve other people’s problems, never mind that he was battling from a serious kidney condition himself.”
Back at Abhishek’s residence, his mother Malti Devi wept inconsolably, “My son was everything to me. I have nothing left to live for now.”
Calling her brother “my best friend”, his sister Shweta said, “We were waiting for his transplant so he could start a new chapter in his life. All our dreams have been shattered.”
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A heartbroken Basuki Nath, who ran a jewellery shop in Jharkhand, said he could not believe that he had lost his son to a “petty parking dispute”.
