India seeks review as US court clears cop who ran over Indian student Jaahnavi Kandula

India has taken action in response to the US court's decision which dropped criminal charges against a Seattle police officer Kevin Dave who fatally struck 23-year-old Indian student Jaahnavi Kandula. The Consulate General of India in Seattle has raised the matter with the authorities to review the judgement and is tracking the progress of the probe.

In a statement, the consulate said, "On the recently released investigation report of the King County Prosecution Attorney on the unfortunate death of Jaahnavi Kandula, Consulate has been in regular touch with the designated family representatives and will continue to extend all possible support in ensuring justice for Jaahnavi and her family."

"We have also raised the matter strongly with local authorities, including Seattle Police for appropriate redress. The case has now been referred to Seattle City Attorney's office for review. We await completion of Seattle Police's administrative investigation and will continue to monitor progress on the case," it added.

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Notably, during the court case, the prosecutor cited a "lack of sufficient evidence" as the reason for not pursuing criminal charges against the officer.

Jaahnavi, a Master's student from Andhra Pradesh, was hit by Officer Kevin Dave's speeding car on January 23 last year. The officer was responding to a drug overdose call at the time the incident took place.

The impact of the collision flung her 100 feet as the police vehicle was traveling nearly 120 kmph.

Kandula was pursuing a master's degree in information systems and had come to the US in 2021 on a student exchange program. She was due to receive her master's degree in December, 2023.

Controversy over jokes made aboutKandula's death

A video from Officer Daniel Auderer's (who was tasked to verify if officer Dave was under influence) bodycam captured him making jokes about Kandula's death, suggesting that the city should "write a check" for damages to the family.

King County Prosecuting Attorney Leesa Manion expressed concern about Officer Auderer's remarks, calling them "appalling and deeply troubling." However, she stated that these comments did not alter the legal analysis of Officer Dave's conduct.

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"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 prosecutor Leesa Manion.

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The memo issued to the Seattle Police Department mentioned that Officer Kevin Dave was driving at 119 kph in a 40 kph speed limit zone with his emergency lights on.

Other pedestrians reported hearing his siren. Kandula, as per reports, is believed to have run across the intersection after spotting the vehicle. The memo also noted the possibility that Kandula was wearing wireless earbuds that could have affected her hearing and led to the incident.

(With inputs from agencies)