Who was Jaahnavi Kandula for whom India is seeking action from US

The Biden administration has assured the Indian government of a prompt investigation into Kandula's death

India has called for a thorough investigation into the tragic death of Jaahnavi Kandula, an Indian student who was killed by a police car while crossing a street in Seattle, United States in January this year. This incident has sparked widespread outrage due to a viral video in which a police officer can be heard making insensitive jokes and laughing about Kandula’s death.

The Consulate General of India in San Francisco expressed deep concern over the incident and the video’s contents, describing them as deeply troubling. They have taken strong action by engaging with local authorities in Seattle and Washington State, as well as senior officials in Washington DC, to ensure a comprehensive investigation and appropriate actions against those involved in this case. The Consulate and Embassy are committed to closely monitoring the situation and collaborating with all relevant authorities.

India’s Ambassador to the United States, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, raised the issue at the highest levels in Washington and called for swift action in response to the matter. The Biden administration has assured the Indian government of a prompt investigation into the circumstances surrounding Kandula’s death.

US officials have also provided assurances that the police officers responsible for the young woman’s tragic death and the insensitive comments made about it will face legal consequences and be brought to justice.

Jaahnavi Kandula, a 23-year-old student was pursuing a master’s degree at Northeastern University in South Lake Union, who tragically lost her life on January 23 after being struck by a speeding police car driven by Officer Kevin Dave in Seattle.

A distressing video depicting a US police officer, Officer Daniel Auderer, callously discussing Jaahnavi’s death emerged, sparking widespread outrage among lawmakers and Indian-Americans. In the bodycam footage released by the Seattle Police Department, Officer Auderer can be heard making insensitive remarks, laughing, and even incorrectly stating Jaahnavi’s age as 26, while referring to her as a “regular person.”

“She is dead,” he says before breaking into laughter while referring to Kandula as a “regular person”.

The clip ends with him saying: “She was 26 anyway, she had limited value,” getting her age wrong.

Following the release of the video, there has been outrage on social media. Officer Auderer claimed that his comments were taken out of context. According to radio host Jason Rantz, Officer Auderer provided a written statement suggesting that his comments were meant to mimic how city attorneys might downplay liability in such cases.

Jaahnavi’s family expressed shock over the delayed revelation of this information. Her grandfather, deeply affected by the tragedy, questioned the officer’s behaviour, asking, “How can anyone speak like that after a tragic accident?”

What happened on January 23?

The incident occurred when Jaahnavi was walking in a crosswalk, and Officer Kevin Dave’s speeding car struck her. Reportedly, she was not jaywalking, meaning she was crossing the road legally at a designated pedestrian crossing. Jaahnavi was rushed to Harbourview Medical Centre but succumbed to her injuries.

The preliminary investigation revealed that Officer Kevin Dave was travelling at an alarming speed of 119 kilometres per hour (about 74 miles per hour) when the accident happened, far exceeding the 25-mile-per-hour (40-kilometer-per-hour) speed limit on the street. He applied the brakes just a second before the collision occurred, reducing his speed to approximately 101 kilometres per hour (about 63 miles per hour) at impact, causing Jaahnavi to be thrown over 100 feet.

As per inputs, the officer had been responding to a 911 call from an individual who believed they might be experiencing a drug overdose at the time of the incident.

Who was Jaahnavi Kandula?

Jaahnavi Kandula from Andhra Pradesh, pursuing a master’s degree from the Northeastern University campus in South Lake Union.

She went to the US from Bengaluru on a student exchange programme in 2021 and was due to graduate this December.

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