The Seattle city administration of America has decided to give a compensation of 29 million dollars i.e. about Rs 262 crore to the family of Indian student Janhvi Kandula. In the year 2023, Jhanvi lost her life after being hit by a speeding police car. The settlement comes after a legal suit by the family. Seattle City Attorney Erica Evans confirmed this compensation and expressed hope that it will provide some relief to the family.
How did this tragic incident happen?
Janhvi Kandula was a master’s degree student at Northeastern University in Seattle. On January 23, 2023, when she was crossing the road, she was hit hard by the car of police officer Kevin Dave. According to the investigation report, the police officer was going on an emergency call and at that time the speed of his vehicle was 119 kilometers per hour. The thing to note is that the maximum limit for driving in that area was only 40 kilometers per hour.
Key information related to compensation and legal action
The Seattle Police Department was heavily criticized after this incident. Some important things related to this agreement between the city administration and the victim’s family are as follows.
Total Compensation Amount: 29 million US dollars which is approximately Rs 262 crore in Indian currency.
Action on officer: The police officer who was hit, Kevin Dave, has been dismissed from his job by the department.
Other dismissals: Another officer, Daniel Order, has also been fired for making insensitive comments on Jhanvi’s death.
Insurance Payment: Of this total amount of compensation, approximately $20 million will be paid by the city’s insurance company.
Although King County prosecutors decided not to pursue criminal charges against the police officer, he was fined for reckless driving. The Seattle administration recognizes that Jhanvi’s life was very precious to her family and community and this compensation is an attempt to compensate for that loss.
