An IIT Delhi professor has been booked for alleged negligence following the death of a PhD student during excavation work near the archaeological site of Lothal in Gujarat. The incident occurred in November 2024 when the student, Surabhi Verma, died after a 10-foot deep excavation pit collapsed on her while she and her professor, Yama Dixit, were collecting soil samples. The FIR was registered based on a complaint by the student's father, alleging that Dixit's negligence led to Verma's death. Dixit has been charged with causing death by negligence and endangering life. The investigation revealed that the team was unaware of the high water level beneath the visible dry soil, and had not informed police or local authorities before starting the excavation.