Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Indian student Jaahnavi Kandula killed by US cop to be awarded master's degree

Kandula, a 23-year-old student at Washington State’s Northeastern University was struck at a pedestrian crossing on the night of January 23

Indian student Jaahnavi Kandula killed by US cop to be awarded master's degree

The chancellor of Northeastern University has announced that Jaahnavi Kandula, the Indian student who tragically lost her life after being struck by a speeding police car in Seattle, will be posthumously awarded her master's degree.

The decision is made in the hope that the ongoing investigation will ultimately deliver justice and accountability in this unfortunate incident.


Kandula, a 23-year-old student at Washington State's Northeastern University was struck at a pedestrian crossing on the night of January 23.

Kandula was set to graduate this coming December with a master's degree in information systems from the Seattle campus of Northeastern University.

Her family said she was working toward supporting her mother in India.

She was struck by a police vehicle driven by officer Kevin Dave when she was crossing a street. He was driving 74 mph (more than 119 kmh) on the way to a report of a drug overdose call.

In bodycam footage released on Monday (11) by the Seattle Police Department, officer Daniel Auderer laughed about the deadly crash and dismissed any implication Dave might be at fault or that a criminal investigation was necessary.

In the video, 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."

Saddened by Kandula's death, Kenneth W. Henderson, chancellor of Northeastern University said in a statement issued on the varsity's official Facebook page on Friday.

"Her loss will be felt deeply by students, staff, and faculty. The university plans to award Jaahnavi her degree posthumously and present it to her family. "In the days following this tragedy, our Seattle campus community joined together in a vigil of remembrance and solidarity. At the time, our dean Dave Thurman wrote of Jaahnavi's tremendous engagement, noting that all on our Seattle campus, “loved her bubbly laugh, sense of humour and infectious personality," the post read.

This week, Jaahnavi's friends and loved ones are enduring the additional pain of new developments related to this tragedy, he noted.

"Callous and insensitive remarks by a Seattle police officer have become public, reopening wounds and deepening our collective heartbreak," Henderson wrote.

He acknowledged that the 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 chancellor of Northeastern University said in the statement.

"When a group of us are experiencing anguish, we are all in pain. These are the times when we must draw strength from each other and move forward in unity. Next week, we will convene campus gatherings to allow our community to join together in harmony," he added.

India has taken up Kandula's case with the US government as well as with local officials in Washington state. "Recent reports including in the media of the handling of Ms Jaahnavi Kandula's death in a road accident in Seattle in January are deeply troubling," the consulate general of India in San Francisco tweeted on Wednesday.

"We have taken up the matter strongly with local authorities in Seattle and Washington State as well as senior officials in Washington DC for a thorough investigation and action against those involved in this tragic case," the mission said.

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

(PTI)

More For You

british-muslims-iStock

The study noted that this identification was not due to any doctrinal obligation but was influenced by the perception that many Muslims do not feel fully accepted as British. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Majority of British Muslims identify by faith first, study finds

A STUDY by the Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life (IIFL) has found that most British Muslims identify primarily with their religion rather than their nationality.

The research, based on a survey of 815 British Muslim adults by Whitestone Insight, revealed that 71 per cent of respondents identified as Muslim first, while 27 per cent identified as British, English, or Scottish first.

Keep ReadingShow less
Car Tax Changes: EV Owners Now Required to Pay for the First Time

Owners of electric vehicles registered on or after 1 April 2025 will pay £10 for the first year, followed by the standard VED rate of £195 from the second year. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Car tax changes take effect: EV owners to pay for first time

FROM today, 1 April 2025, electric cars, vans, and motorcycles in the UK will be subject to Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) for the first time.

The change, introduced in the 2022 Autumn Statement by former Conservative Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, aims to make motoring taxation fairer.

Keep ReadingShow less
scotland-minimum-wages-iStock

Full-time workers on the National Living Wage will receive an annual pay increase of £1,400 in real terms. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Wage increase takes effect for thousands of workers in Scotland

HUNDREDS of thousands of workers in Scotland will see a pay increase as new National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates take effect from Tuesday.

The changes will benefit approximately 220,000 people, according to STV News.

Keep ReadingShow less
uk-energy-bill-iStock

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

April bill increases put financial strain on single parents

A RANGE of essential household bills are increasing from April, with Citizens Advice warning that single parents will be among the hardest hit.

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased, BBC reported.

Keep ReadingShow less
Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools
Stephen Graham and Owen Cooper in 'Adolescence'
Netflix

Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools

THE NETFLIX drama Adolescence will be shown in UK secondary schools as part of efforts to address harmful online influences on young boys, officials announced on Monday.

The show has sparked debate over the impact of toxic and misogynistic content on the internet. Prime minister Keir Starmer met the show's creators, charities, and young people at Downing Street, calling the initiative an important step in starting discussions about the content teenagers are exposed to online.

Keep ReadingShow less