In a tragic incident that has shattered hearts and sparked outrage globally, Indian student Jaahnavi Kandula was killed in an accident caused by a speeding police car in the United States. The university she was attending has now decided to award her degree posthumously in a tribute to her memory. This news comes amidst anger and shock provoked by a bodycam video showing a police officer making fun of the student’s horrifying death.
Northeastern University’s Chancellor’s office said in a statement that Kandula’s colleagues recalled her for her ‘bubbly laugh’ and ‘sense of humor’. Students, employees, and instructors will be devastated by her death. “The university plans to award Jaahnavi her degree posthumously and present it to her family,” the Chancellor said.
Kandula, 23, was struck by a police vehicle driven by Officer Kevin Dave when she was crossing a street on January 23. He was driving 74 mph (more than 119 kmh) on the way to a report of a drug overdose call.
In bodycam footage released on Monday by the Seattle Police Department, Officer Daniel Auderer laughed about the deadly crash and dismissed any implication Dave might be at fault or that a criminal investigation was necessary.
Reacting to the tragic incident, the university’s Chancellor’s office said, “We also recognize that our Indian student community, across all Northeastern campuses, has been especially impacted by this tragedy and its aftermath. We stand in solidarity with you and have every expectation that the ongoing investigations will bring a measure of justice and accountability.”
The Chancellor’s office said that campus rallies would be organized across Northeastern campuses in support of Kandula.
“When a group of us are experiencing anguish, we are all in pain. These are the times that we must draw strength from each other and move forward in unity. Next week, we will convene campus gatherings to allow our community to join together in harmony. Details will be provided soon by Northeastern Student Life and respective campus deans,” the statement said.
Jaahnavi Kandula was born in Andhra Pradesh to a single mother. She was doing her master’s degree at Northeastern University in Seattle and travelled to the US on a student exchange program in 2021 from Bengaluru. Jaahnavi’s uncle, Ashok Mandula, told the Seattle Times in January that she was supposed to graduate in December of this year.
Meanwhile, over 200 people from different communities on Friday held a rally at an intersection where she was struck and killed by a speeding police patrol car.
They called for accountability for the officer who killed her and for a police union leader’s comment about the crash, which some described as “disgusting” and “abhorrent.” Participants at the rally in South Lake Union called for the resignation of Auderer and the officer who struck Kandula, Dave.
Image and News courtesy: Business today
