Jaahnavi Kandula was hit and killed by a police car while crossing the street.
New Delhi:
The shocking bodycam footage of an American police officer laughing while talking about the death of Andhra Pradesh student Jaahnavi Kandula in an accident has sparked outrage. Her university has now decided to award the 23-year-old her diploma posthumously and present it to her family.
Expressing solidarity with the incident, the Chancellor of Northeastern University said, “We also recognize that our Indian student community – across campuses in the Northeast – has been particularly affected by this tragedy and its aftermath. We stand in solidarity with you and are confident that the ongoing investigations will bring a degree of justice and accountability.”
While issuing the note, the university also mentioned a helpline number for mental health support.
“Northeastern offers a 24/7 mental health support service called Find@Northeastern, which provides students with access to a licensed mental health practitioner at any time, from any location in the world, by calling 877.233.9477 (US), 55.229. 8797 (Canada), +1.781.457.7777 (Intl.) Student support is also available from the We Care team in Student Life at [email protected] or 617.373.7591, as well as through the Student Affairs team on the Seattle campus at sea.sa@northeastern Faculty and staff may contact the Employee Assistance Program at New Directions at 800.624.5544.”
23-year-old Jaahnavi Kandula from Andhra Pradesh was pursuing a master’s degree from Northeastern University campus in South Lake Union.
She went to the US from Bengaluru in 2021 for a student exchange program and was scheduled to graduate in December.
Ms Kandula was hit and killed by a police car as she crossed the street on January 23. According to The Seattle Times, Kevin Dave, the police officer driving the car, was driving 70 mph (119 km/h) and the graduate student’s body was thrown more than 100 feet.