India Calls For Investigation Into US Police Joking About Andhra Student's Death, Seeks Action Against Those Involved

India has asked the United States to conduct a thorough investigation into the bodycam footage of a Seattle police officer making light of the death of an Indian student who was struck by a speeding police car.

Jaahnavi Kandula, a 23-year-old master's student at Northeastern University's Seattle campus, tragically lost her life in January this year when she was hit by a police vehicle driven by Officer Kevin Dave.

According to the Seattle Times newspaper, Officer Dave was driving at nearly 120 kmph while responding to a report of an overdose.

In a video released by the Seattle Police Department on Monday, another police officer can be heard joking and laughing while discussing the accident.

In the clip, Daniel Auderer, the Vice President of the Seattle Police Officers' Guild, can be heard talking to the guild's president.

He can be heard saying, "She is dead," followed by laughter, and refers to Kandula as "a regular person." Amidst bursts of laughter, he suggests, "Yeah, just write a check. Eleven thousand dollars", reports NDTV.

Towards the end of the clip, he states, "She was 26 anyway, she had limited value," incorrectly stating her age.

The Indian Consulate in San Francisco expressed deep concern over the handling of Kandula's death in a road accident, saying it was "deeply troubling" and sought action against those responsible.

"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 for a thorough investigation & action against those involved in this tragic case," the mission said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

"The Consulate & Embassy will continue to closely follow up on this matter with all concerned authorities," it added.

Kandula, originally from Andhra Pradesh, was studying for her master's degree at Northeastern University in Seattle, according to a GoFundMe fundraiser launched to support her family.

On the fundraising page, Ashok Kandula, the uncle of the victim, was quoted as saying, "The family has nothing to say. Except I wonder if these men's daughters or granddaughters have value. A life is a life."