Foreign Affairs

Who was Jaahnvi Kandula, Indian student killed by US police

Indian student Jaahnvi Kandula, 23, unfortunately passed away in Seattle after being hit by a speeding police car. She was studying in the US. According to recent revelations, a police officer made disparaging remarks regarding her death. Northeastern University extended help for affected students' mental health and expressed its sympathy. The officer's offensive comments were caught on the bodycam video.

Jaahnvi Kandula’s Tragic Passing: University’s Response and Support


Jaahnavi Kandula, 23, was killed in Seattle on January 23 when she was struck by a police car going 74 mph over the limit in a 25 mph zone as she crossed the street at a pedestrian crossing. The police officer who was driving the car is being investigated. In a recent development, Danie Auderer, vice president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, was caught on camera making derogatory remarks regarding Jaahnavi’s unfortunate death.

Who was Jaahnvi Kandula ?

Jaahnavi Kandula was an Andhra Pradesh native and the only child of a single mother. She travelled to the US from Bengaluru in 2021 as part of a student exchange program, where she was studying for her master’s degree at Northeastern University in Seattle.

Jaahnavi was supposed to graduate in December this year.  Her mother is an elementary school teacher. It has been reported that Kandula wanted to support her after completing her studies.

How has the University Reacted? 

The Chancellor of Northeastern University expressed solidarity with the incident and added, “We also understand that our Indian student community all Northeastern campuses-has been disproportionately impacted by this tragedy and its aftermath. We support you and are confident that the ensuing investigations will lead to some semblance of justice and responsibility.

The University also included a helpline number for mental health support in the statement.’This week, Jaahnavi’s friends and loved ones are experiencing the added sorrow of fresh developments relating to this tragedy,’ the statement said in part. A Seattle police officer’s callous and disrespectful comments have come to light, revisiting old wounds and escalating our group’s anguish. We also acknowledge that this tragedy and its aftermath have had a particularly negative impact on the Indian student population at all Northeastern schools. We support you and are confident that the ensuing investigations will lead to some semblance of justice and responsibility.

The Bodycam Footage:

After the bodycam footage of a police officer with another cop making offensive remarks about the student’s death surfaced, the event attracted new attention. According to a Monday article in the Seattle Times newspaper, Kandula was killed by police officer Kevin Dave who was going too fast while responding to a report of an overdose.

Daniel Auderer, the cop who rushed to the site of the tragedy and was seen on body camera downplaying the tragic collision, is heard stating in the video, “Yeah, just send a check. USD 11,000. In any case, she was only 26 and had little worth.

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Shriya Gupta

Journalist, Talks about Politics, Culture and International Affairs. Love to see things through the lenses. Short Films and Documentries make me More excited.
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