Following the tragic incident in which a Seattle police officer struck and killed Indian student Jaahnavi Kandula, authorities have declared that no criminal charges will be brought against the officer due to insufficient evidence. The decision was announced on Wednesday, February 21 by the King County Prosecutor’s Office.
In a statement issued by the King County Prosecuting Attorney, the profound impact of Kandula’s death on communities both locally and globally was acknowledged.
“It is the responsibility of the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office to review all available evidence relating to the case involving Seattle Police Officer Kevin Dave and the January 2023 collision death of Jaahnavi Kandula. After staffing this case with senior deputy prosecuting attorneys and office leadership, I have determined that we lack sufficient evidence under Washington State law to prove a criminal case beyond a reasonable doubt,” said Prosecuting Attorney Leesa Manion.
The fatal collision occurred on January 23 when 23-year-old Kandula was struck by a police vehicle driven by Officer Kevin Dave while crossing a street in Seattle. Officer Dave was reportedly traveling at 74 mph, exceeding the speed limit significantly, en route to a report of a drug overdose. The impact of the collision propelled Kandula approximately 100 feet.
Bodycam footage released by the Seattle Police Department revealed Officer Daniel Auderer's seemingly callous response to the tragic incident, including laughter and dismissal of any suggestion that Officer Dave might be at fault or that a criminal investigation was warranted.
Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working President KT Rama Rao on Thursday, February 22 termed the decision of the US court to drop criminal charges against the cop as 'disgraceful' and 'absolutely unacceptable'. KTR, as the BRS leader is popularly known, also requested External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to take up the matter with his US counterpart and demand an independent investigation into the matter.
He also urged US Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti, to take up the matter with the US authorities and deliver justice to Jaahnavi. “It is tragic that the life of a youngster with soaring ambitions has been cut short, but what’s even more tragic is the callous disregard for justice to the victim,” KTR posted on X.