Jahnavi Kandula Case: Mother Reacts to $32M (₹262 Cr) US Compensation

It is known that the US government has announced a compensation of Rs. 262 crore to the family of Jahnavi Kandula, who died in the US due to the negligence of a police officer. However, Jahnavi’s mother Vijaya Lakshmi reacted to this compensation. She expressed her concern about what should be done with that money. She spoke to the media on this issue. “We may think that this compensation will do some good for us. What should we do with this money? The police officer who caused the accident and caused Jahnavi’s death will never be punished.

What about another officer who joked about Jahnavi’s death and said her life was worthless..?” Vijaya Lakshmi commented. Jahnavi’s father Srikanth died of a heart attack two days before the compensation was announced. He was working as a head constable. He had recently joined duty after taking a long leave due to his daughter’s death. He passed away while on his way to attend duty. The Seattle government informed Jahnavi’s family about the compensation announcement. It advised her to come to the US next month. During the compensation announcement, officials there made key comments on Jahnavi’s death. Seattle City Attorney Erica Evans said on Wednesday that Jahnavi’s death was sad, but this compensation will provide some relief to her family and close friends.

Jahnavi, a native of Adoni in Kurnool district of AP, was studying in Seattle, USA. There, on the night of January 23, 2021, a police patrol vehicle hit her while she was crossing the road. As a result, Jahnavi lost her life on the spot. At that time, vehicles were supposed to travel at a speed of 40 kilometers.. A police officer named Kevin Dave drove the vehicle at a speed of 119 kilometers. As a result, Jahnavi flew 100 feet and died. However, Kevin did not react even after Jahnavi died. Moreover, he mocked her death. He commented that her life was worthless, that she was worth only 11 thousand dollars.

All this was recorded on Kevin’s body camera. This led to criticism of Kevin’s behavior, which mocked Jahnavi’s death and made racist remarks. This was criticized in many countries, including India and the United States, and the United States responded. After a court hearing, the Seattle government recently announced compensation.