The death of 23-year-old Indian student Jaahnavi Kandula, who was struck by a speeding police patrol car in the US, has ignited a firestorm of controversy. A video of a Seattle police officer laughing callously over her demise has drawn condemnation not only from India's ambassador to the United States but also from people worldwide.
The Joe Biden administration has now stepped in, promising a swift and thorough investigation into this deeply troubling incident.
After India's Ambassador to the United States raised the alarm over a video depicting a Seattle police officer's laughter at the scene of Jaahnavi Kandula's death, the Biden administration has pledged to investigate the matter.
According to a PTI report, senior administration officials have expressed their shock and horror over the incident and are closely monitoring the investigation's progress from Washington DC.
The Consulate General of India in San Francisco has also taken a strong stance on the video, labeling it "deeply troubling."
"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," a tweet from the Consulate General of India in San Francisco read.
Jaahnavi Kandula died on January 23 this year when she was struck by a police vehicle driven by Officer Kevin Dave, who was traveling at a 119 kmph while responding to an overdose call, as reported by PTI.
Daniel Auderer, who is the vice president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild and a drug recognition expert, was sent to the scene to evaluate whether Dave was impaired, reports say.
The incident took a disturbing turn when Auderer made a shocking comment that has now gone viral and outraged people in the US and India. In a released police department video, Auderer can be heard laughing and saying that Kandula's life had "limited value" and that the city should merely "write a cheque of $11,000" while misstating her age as 26.
"But she is dead," the officer is heard saying before laughing. "No, it's a regular person. Yeah, just write a cheque," he says, laughing.
"Eleven thousand dollars. She was 26, anyway. She had limited value."
This disturbing footage prompted India to strongly address the matter with US authorities, demanding a comprehensive investigation and action against those found guilty. Auderer has since defended his comment, stating that it was intended as mockery of lawyers and their arguments regarding the value of human life in such cases.
“I responded with something like: ‘She’s 26 years old. What value is there? Who cares?’ I intended the comment as a mockery of lawyers. I was imitating what a lawyer tasked with negotiating the case would be saying and being sarcastic to express that they shouldn’t be coming up with crazy arguments to minimise the payment. I laughed at the ridiculousness of how these incidents are litigated and the ridiculousness of how I watched these incidents play out as two parties bargain over a tragedy,” the officer was quoted as saying.
He also said that the comments were just a mockery and “not made with malice or a hard heart.”
The Office of Police Accountability has initiated an investigation into the incident following a complaint from a Seattle Police Department employee. They will scrutinize the context in which Auderer's comments were made and determine whether any policies were violated.
The Community Police Commission, another police oversight organization in Seattle, has described the audio as "heartbreaking and shockingly insensitive."
“The people of Seattle deserve better from a police department that is charged with fostering trust with the community and ensuring public safety,” the organisation’s press release said.
Who was Jaahnavi Kandula?
Jaahnavi Kandula, a promising student from Andhra Pradesh, was pursuing her Master's degree at Northeastern University in Seattle at the South Lake Union campus.
Kandula went to the US on a student exchange programme in 2021 and was due to graduate at the end of this year.
She was killed after a speeding patrol car, driver by Dave, hit her and was flung over 100 feet away. She died of multiple blunt force trauma injuries.
Her family has been reportedly distraught over the police officer's insensitive comments after her death. A GoFundMe page has been started to support her grief-stricken family.
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