A PhD scholar from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi died after she and her professor Yama Dixit collected soil samples in the pit. Representative Images | Image Source: Getty Images/Istockphoto
Officials said police have registered against the case of professor IIT Delhi after a female doctoral student died last year during excavations near the archaeological site of Losar in Gujarat, allegedly negligent.
The complaint of the student’s father, PN Gohil, said the incident was near the archaeological site in the Harapin era on November 27 last year, but the first information report (FIR) was registered on March 23 at the Koth Police Station in the Ahmedabad region, following the complaint by the student’s father.
Surashi Velma (23), a PhD scholar at Delhi, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), collected paleoclimate studies in Lothal in her and her Yama Dixit, who died in her pit after she collapsed in her and her Yama Dixit.
“Despite Sarabee’s death on the spot, Dixit was rescued from the collapsed pit. According to a complaint by Surabee’s father, Ramkhelavan Verma, Kos police have booked Dixit on charges of death due to negligence. No arrests have been made.”
Mr. Dixit has booked under Section 106 (Death due to negligence) and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 125 (Hidden the Life or Personal Safety of Others).
According to FIR, Surabhi Verma received her PhD in December 2023 at IIT Delhi after completing M Tech in Earth Sciences.
In November 2024, Verma and Mr. Dixit came to Gujarat to conduct a research project.
On November 27, the duo collected samples together with a student at IIT Gandhinagar and a professor, FIR said.
Upon arrival at the site, they hired an earth operator to dig a 10-foot-deep pit near the archaeological remains of Lothal, a small Harappan port town in Dholka Taluka, Ahmedabad.
After Mr. Verma and Mr. Dixit entered the room to collect soil samples, the pit was inserted. Verma died on the spot, and Mr. Dixit escaped with a head injury.
According to FIR, Mr Dixit’s negligence caused Verma to die because she was engaged in “dangerous work” of collecting samples from the pit without providing any safety equipment.
Similarly, Mr. Dixit had not informed Velma of the task of collecting soil samples in advance.
Ahmedabad Regional Principal Om Prakash Jat said in November that the team is conducting paleoclimatic research on Lothal to understand how different climate events such as floods or famine affect Indus Valley civilization.
As part of their ongoing research, they collected soil samples from that era by digging trenches near the Losar site.
The official said preliminary investigations showed that the team did not know that the water level was high under visible dry soil.
Mr Jat said that due to the ocean’s entrance, the site is part of the swamp area, and water is found only 5-6 feet digging.
He added that the researchers did not notify police or any local authorities before the excavation was carried out.
publishing – March 27, 2025 at 2:45 pm IST
