Ahmedabad, March 27 – A professor from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi has been booked for alleged negligence following the death of a PhD student during an excavation near the archaeological site of Lothal in Gujarat last year. The incident occurred on November 27, 2024, but the FIR was registered only recently after a complaint was filed by the student’s father.
As per agency report, the deceased student, 23-year-old Surbhi Verma, was conducting paleoclimatic research and had accompanied her professor, Yama Dixit, to collect soil samples from a 10-foot-deep pit near the Harappan-era site in Lothal, approximately 80 kilometers from Ahmedabad. During the sampling process, the soil inside the pit collapsed, leading to Surbhi’s death on the spot. Professor Dixit was rescued from the pit but sustained a head injury.
Police Sub-Inspector P. N. Gohil confirmed that based on the complaint by Surbhi’s father, Ramkhelawan Verma, an FIR was filed on March 23 at Koth police station in Ahmedabad district. The FIR charges Professor Dixit under Sections 106 (causing death by negligence) and 125 (endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). No arrests have been made so far.
According to the complaint, the incident took place during a field visit conducted as part of a research project. Surbhi and Dixit had arrived in Gujarat in November 2024, and on the day of the incident, they were accompanied by another student and a professor from IIT Gandhinagar. A local earthmover operator had been hired to dig the pit near the remnants of the ancient Harappan port city.
The FIR alleges that Dixit failed to take necessary safety precautions and had not informed Surbhi in advance about the hazardous nature of the sample collection activity. The absence of safety gear and lack of prior warning, according to the FIR, directly contributed to the tragic incident.
Police continue to investigate the case, while the incident has sparked concern over field safety protocols in academic research projects involving students.
