US: Indian student Jaanhvi Kandula, who was killed by speeding cop, to be awarded a degree posthumously

Indian student Jaanhvi Kandula, who was killed in the United States, will be awarded her academic degree posthumously by the college where she was studying, amid the massive row triggered by footage showing a cop laughing about her death, media reports said.

Indian student Jaanhvi Kandula to get her US university degree posthumously. Photo Courtesy: Photo Courtesy: Saloni vxrse X page

The Northeastern University's Chancellor said, as quoted by Indian news channel NDTV, "We also recognise that our 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 added.

The 23-year-old student of Northeastern University was hit by a patrol car driven by police officer Kevin Dave in Seattle and her body was reportedly thrown some 100 feet away.

In a video, recovered from the body cam of vice-president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, Daniel Auderer, the cop reportedly said Kandula, who was from Andhra Pradesh, had "little value" and the city should write her kins a cheque.

"Yeah, just write a cheque. Eleven thousand dollars. She was 26 anyway…She had limited value," Auderer is heard talking about the accident in a call with the guild's president Mike Solan.

He laughed several times after saying "She is dead".

Kandula went to the US from Bengaluru on a student exchange programme in 2021. She was due to graduate this December.