“Had limited value”: US cop jokes after mowing down 26-yr-old Indian student; New Delhi seeks action

India urged the United States for a thorough investigation after a viral video showed a police officer laughing at the death of an Indian student after being hit by a police car.

Taking to X (previously Twitter), the Consulate General of India in San Francisco wrote: “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 added, “The Consulate & Embassy will continue to closely follow up on this matter with all concerned authorities.”

Jaahnavi Kandula, a 23-year-old resident from Andhra Pradesh, was pursuing her masters at Seattle’s Northeastern University. In January, she was killed by a speeding police cruiser.

Netizens expressed shock after the bodycam clip went viral in which a cop was heard laughing about the crash and saying that Kandula had “limited value” owing to her age. 

This USA police officer laughs after killing an innocent person. He should be ashamed. Had he been in India, we would not have kept quiet till he was hanged. But the Modi government will have to contact the US government and do anything to get #JusticeForjaahnavi pic.twitter.com/KLXcTv0Exx

— HINDU SAI (@TheNameIsSaiii) September 13, 2023

“No, it’s a regular person,” the officer continued. “Yeah, just write a cheque...eleven thousand dollars.”