Jaahnavi Kandula death: Indian authorities seek probe into US police officer's mocking of Andhra's girl

Jaahnavi Kandula death:  India has called for a thorough investigation into a disturbing incident involving bodycam footage of a Seattle police officer making callous remarks about the death of an Indian student who was tragically struck by a speeding police car. The victim, Jaahnavi Kandula, a 23-year-old master's student at Northeastern University's Seattle campus, lost her life in January when she was hit by a police vehicle driven by Officer Kevin Dave, who was reportedly driving at nearly 120 kmph while responding to an overdose call, as reported by the Seattle Times.

In a video released by the Seattle Police Department on Monday, another police officer can be heard making insensitive remarks and laughing while discussing the accident. During the video, Daniel Auderer, Vice President of the Seattle Police Officers' Guild, can be heard saying, "She is dead," followed by bursts of laughter as he refers to Ms. Kandula as "a regular person." In a disturbing tone, he suggests, "Yeah, just write a check. Eleven thousand dollars." The video concludes with him making an inaccurate statement about her age, saying, "She was 26 anyway; she had limited value."

Recent reports including in media of the handling of Ms Jaahnavi Kandula’s death in a road accident in Seattle in January are deeply troubling. We have taken up the matter strongly with local authorities in Seattle & Washington State as well as senior officials in Washington DC — India in SF (@CGISFO) September 13, 2023

Recent reports including in media of the handling of Ms Jaahnavi Kandula’s death in a road accident in Seattle in January are deeply troubling. We have taken up the matter strongly with local authorities in Seattle & Washington State as well as senior officials in Washington DC — India in SF (@CGISFO) September 13, 2023

The Indian Consulate in San Francisco has expressed deep concern over the handling of Kandula's death in the road accident and has called for action against those involved in the case. In a statement posted on social media, the consulate stated, "We have taken up the matter strongly with local authorities in Seattle & Washington State as well as senior officials in Washington DC for a thorough investigation & action against those involved in this tragic case." The mission emphasized its commitment to closely monitoring the matter with all relevant authorities.

Jaahnavi Kandula, hailing from Andhra Pradesh, had been pursuing her master's degree at Northeastern University in Seattle. A GoFundMe fundraiser was launched to support her family during this difficult time. Her uncle, Ashok Kandula, was quoted as saying on the fundraising page, "The family has nothing to say except I wonder if these men's daughters or granddaughters have value. A life is a life."

- With inputs from agencies