Ahmedabad: Koth Police have registered an FIR against Prof. Yama Dixit of IIT Delhi for alleged negligence. This comes after her student, PhD scholar Surabhi Verma, died in a landslide at Lothal in November.

The 23-year-old scholar lost her life on November 27 last year when she and Prof. Dixit were inside a 15-foot-deep trench collecting samples. A landslide buried them under loose earth and mud. While Prof. Dixit was rescued, Surabhi could not be saved. The FIR, filed under Sections 106(1) and 125(a) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita (BNS), charges Prof. Dixit with causing death by negligence and endangering life through reckless actions—both cognizable offences.

According to the complaint, Prof. Dixit instructed Surabhi to collect samples despite her lack of experience and the absence of safety measures.

Surabhi’s father, Ram Khelavan Verma, had repeatedly urged the police to register a case rather than treating the incident as an accidental death. He stated that Surabhi was unaware of the project’s specifics and was taken to excavation sites at Pariej and Lothal under Prof. Dixit’s guidance.

Welcoming the FIR, Surabhi’s family expressed concerns that some crucial details were missing from their original complaint. They insist that justice must be served and those responsible held accountable. Police have previously recorded Prof. Dixit’s statement and plan to summon her again for further investigation. DeshGujarat