India has formally requested the United States to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the bodycam footage revealing the insensitive comments made by a Seattle police officer regarding the tragic death of an Indian student.
Jaahnavi Kandula, a 23-year-old master’s student at Northeastern University’s Seattle campus, tragically lost her life in January this year when she was struck by a speeding police vehicle driven by Officer Kevin Dave.
According to the Seattle Times newspaper, Officer Dave was driving at nearly 120 kmph while responding to a report of an overdose.
A recently released video from the Seattle Police Department has sparked outrage as it captures another police officer making callous remarks and laughing while discussing the accident.
In the video, Daniel Auderer, the Vice President of the Seattle Police Officers’ Guild, can be heard speaking to the guild’s president. He dismissively states, “She is dead,” followed by laughter, and casually refers to Kandula as “a regular person.” Amidst bursts of laughter, he suggests, “Yeah, just write a check. Eleven thousand dollars,” inaccurately quoting a compensation figure.
Towards the end of the video, he shockingly states, “She was 26 anyway, she had limited value,” falsely stating her age.
Expressing deep concern over the handling of Kandula’s tragic death, the Indian Consulate in San Francisco has called the situation “deeply troubling” and has demanded accountability for those involved.
In a statement posted on X (formerly known as Twitter), the mission said, “Recent reports 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 for a thorough investigation & action against those involved in this tragic case.”
“The Consulate & Embassy will continue to closely follow up on this matter with all concerned authorities,” it added.
Jaahnavi Kandula, originally from Andhra Pradesh, was pursuing her master’s degree at Northeastern University in Seattle, according to a GoFundMe fundraiser established to support her family. On the fundraising page, Ashok Kandula, the victim’s uncle, expressed his grief, saying, “The family has nothing to say. Except I wonder if these men’s daughters or granddaughters have value. A life is a life.”
