Priyanka Chopra reacts to Indian student Jaahnavi Kandula's death in US: A life is a life. One can’t put any value on it
Priyanka Chopra talked about Jaahnavi Kandula's death in a new post. Jaahnavi died in January after she was hit by a Seattle police patrol vehicle in the US.
Actor Priyanka Chopra has reacted to the news of the death of Indian-origin woman Jaahnavi Kandula. The 23-year-old died on January 23, 2023, after being struck by a Seattle police patrol vehicle in the US. Months after her death, a recording from a body-worn camera surfaced, where two union leaders from the Seattle Police Department joked about her death. (Also Read | Priyanka Chopra responds to 9-year-old Indian origin girl who sang American national anthem at US Open)
Priyanka reacts to Jaahnavi's death
Taking to Instagram Stories on Saturday night, Priyanka re-shared a post by People. She wrote, "It's appalling to learn that such a tragic incident that happened 9 months ago is only coming to light now. A life is a life. One cannot put any value on it." Jaahnavi hailed from Andhra Pradesh. She was pursuing a master’s degree from the Northeastern University campus in South Lake Union and was set to graduate in December this year.
Farhan earlier condoled Jaahnavi's death
Recently, filmmaker-actor Farhan Akhtar took to Instagram and paid his condolences. "#JaahnaviKandula. We didn't know each other but I know that as a student preparing to make a place for herself in the world, your potential was limitless and your value immeasurable. Condolences to your family. RIP," he wrote, adding a picture of Jaahnavi.
Northeastern University will award Jaanhavi her degree posthumously
The Northeastern University announced that it will award Jaanhavi her degree posthumously. The announcement was made by Chancellor of the University, Kenneth W Henderson who affirmed hope that the ongoing investigations will bring a measure of justice and accountability. “The university plans to award Jaahnavi her degree posthumously and present it to her family,” the university stated on its Facebook page.
What happened with Jaahnavi
On September 11, the Seattle Police Department released footage from Officer Daniel Auderer's body camera. Daniel left his body camera on after responding to the South Lake Union area where a marked patrol vehicle driven by another officer Kevin Dave struck and killed Jaahnavi Kandula, according to an NBC News report.
A day after the incident, the police said that the officer had been responding to a "priority one call." In the footage, Daniel, who serves as vice president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, drove and talked about the accident in a call with the guild's president Mike Solan.
In the video, Daniel said "she is dead" before bursting out into laughter. Referring to Jaanhavi, he said, "No, it’s a regular person." Towards the end of the clip, he also said, through bursts of laughter, "Yeah, just write a check. Eleven thousand dollars. She was 26 anyway," misstating her age. “He further said, ‘She had limited value,’" the New York Post reported.
