Jaahnavi Kandula’s death was a horrible tragedy, and the scale of her loss should not be diminished or mocked by anyone,’ says Krishnamoorthi
Washington: Indian American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi on Thursday, Sept September 14, urged the Seattle Police to pursue its investigation into the tragic death of Indian student Jaahnavi Kandula with the seriousness it demands, a PTI report in The Tribune, Chandigarh, says.
“Jaahnavi Kandula’s death was a horrible tragedy, and the scale of her loss should not be diminished or mocked by anyone,” Krishnamoorthi said in response to the recording of a Seattle police officer laughing about the death of Jaahnavi Kandula, a 23-year-old Indian graduate student who was killed by a police car travelling at 74 miles per hour in a 25 mile per hour zone.
“The recording of a Seattle Police officer making light of her death and questioning the value of her life is disgusting and unacceptable. I urge the Seattle Police Department to pursue its investigation into this matter with the seriousness it demands,” Krishnamoorthi said.
A student at Washington’s Northeastern University. Jaahnavi was struck at a pedestrian crossing on the night of January 23, 2023.
In the video, Daniel Auderer, who is captured on body camera while discussing the fatal collision, can be heard saying, “Yeah, just write a check. USD 11,000. She was 26 anyway, she had limited value.”
In a unanimous resolution, the National Federation of Indian American Associations (NFIA) called upon all relevant authorities to prioritise investigation, community engagement, and respect for the rights and dignity of all individuals, the victims and the community in suffering and grief.
NFIA appreciated India’s Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu for strongly raising the issue at the highest level in Washington.
“The recording of a Seattle Police officer making light of her death and questioning the value of her life is disgusting and unacceptable. I urge the Seattle Police Department to pursue its investigation into this matter with the seriousness it demands,” Krishnamoorthi said.
Indian American Impact in a statement said that it is appalled to see shocking footage of a Seattle police officer belittling the killing of an Indian woman by another police officer, saying her life “had limited value”.
“We hope the officer is held accountable and Jaahnavi Kandula’s family receives justice,” it said.
Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal strongly condemned the incident. “Jaahnavi Kandula was killed by a speeding police car. Then, police officers joked about her death and devalued her life. I’m sick to my stomach. This is exactly what happens when we normalise xenophobia and racism. It needs to stop,” she said.
According to Axios, a coalition that includes family members of people killed by police released statements Wednesday objecting to Auderer’s comments. It said that public outrage is mounting
****************************************************
Readers
These are extraordinary times. All of us have to rely on high-impact, trustworthy journalism. And this is especially true of the Indian Diaspora. Members of the Indian community overseas cannot be fed with inaccurate news.
Pravasi Samwad is a venture that has no shareholders. It is the result of an impassioned initiative of a handful of Indian journalists spread around the world. We have taken the small step forward with the pledge to provide news with accuracy, free from political and commercial influence. Our aim is to keep you, our readers, informed about developments at ‘home’ and across the world that affect you.
Please help us to keep our journalism independent and free.
In these difficult times, to run a news website requires finances. While every contribution, big or small, will makes a difference, we request our readers to put us in touch with advertisers worldwide. It will be a great help.
For more information: pravasisamwad00@gmail.com