IIT-D prof charged with negligence in PhD scholar’s death at Lothal

Ahmedabad: Nearly four months after the death of a PhD scholar from IIT Delhi (IIT-D) at Lothal following a landslide, Koth police station registered an FIR naming the IIT-D guide for ‘causing death by negligence'. The family of Surabhi Verma, the victim, termed it a victory of perseverance and said that justice should be done to her memory with a proper investigation.
Surabhi, 23, lost her life after she could not be evacuated following a landslide on Nov 27 last year. She was at the bottom of a trench of more than 15 feet depth along with her guide, Prof Yama Dixit, in the morning when the landslide took place, covering both women. While Dixit was rescued, Surabhi got buried under the loose earth and mud, and her body was recovered during the rescue operation.
The FIR names Prof Dixit as the accused under Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita (BNS) sections 106(1) for causing death by negligence, and 125(a) for endangering human life or personal safety through rash or negligent actions. Both are cognizable offences, meaning the accused can apply for bail.
The FIR states that Prof Dixit asked Surabhi to collect samples from the trench even when she did not have any knowledge of the collection process and even when there were no safety equipment present at the site.Prof Yama Dixit showed negligence in performing her duty, which eventually caused Surabhi's death, according to the FIR.
Ram Khelavan Verma, Surabhi's father, was called by the Koth police station on Sunday from Sitapur in UP.
Surabhi's father told TOI that it was his third visit after the incident as they were requesting the police authorities to file a case instead of probing it as a case of accidental death.
According to the FIR, Surabhi was the second of three children and was a student of a PhD degree in the atmospheric science department of IIT-D. Verma had two master's degrees - MSc in 2021 and MTech (earth sciences) in 2023. She got admission to IIT-D in December 2023.
‘My daughter did not know the details of the project for which she was accompanying her guide, Prof Dixit, to Gujarat on November 24. She went to an excavation site on November 26 with Shikha Rai of IIT Gandhinagar at Pariej and then on November 27 with IIT Gandhinagar Professor VN Prabhakar and Shikha Rai at Lothal. They were part of a paleoclimate project. A spot was chosen for sampling, after which a trench of 13X4X10 feet dimensions was dug with JCB. Prof Dixit and my daughter Surabhi entered the trench to collect samples when the landslide took place, and she died due to asphyxiation,' mentioned the FIR.
"We are happy that the police finally took cognizance of our applications and pleas and filed an FIR in the case. However, several details have been missed out from our original application's context. Our daughter is gone, but justice should be done to her memory with a proper investigation," Verma told TOI. "Those responsible for the incident should be brought to book."
Police investigators said that the statement of Prof Dixit was recorded earlier, but she will be approached again after the FIR for further probe.