Indian student killed in US, Jaahnvi Kandula, to be awarded educational degree posthumously

Indian student Jaanhvi Kandula, who was killed in the United States, will be awarded her academic degree posthumously by the college where she was studying, amid the massive row triggered by a footage showing a cop laughing about her death, media reports said.

IBNS • 15 Sept 2023, 04:12 pm

The Northeastern University's Chancellor said as quoted by NDTV, "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 23-year-old student of Northeastern University was hit by a patrol car driven by police officer Kevin Dave in Seattle and her body was, reportedly, thrown some 100 feet away.

In a video, recovered from a body-worn camera of vice-president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, Daniel Auderer, the cop reportedly said Kandula, who was from Andhra Pradesh, had "little value" and the city should write her kins a cheque.

"Yeah, just write a check. Eleven thousand dollars. She was 26 anyway…She had limited value," Auderer is heard talking about the accident in a call with the guild's president Mike Solan.

He laughed several times after saying "She is dead".

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