Chittoor Mayor, husband murder case: Andhra court hands out death penalty for 5 people

CHITTOOR: The death penalty was awarded to Chandrasekhar, G.S. Venkatachalapathi, Jayaprakash Reddy, Manjunath, and Venkatesh for their involvement in the armed attack that claimed the lives of the mayor and her husband, news agency PTI reported.Chandrasekhar was identified as the prime accused in the attack, which took place in November 2015 at the Chittoor Municipal Corporation office, a police official confirmed.Mayor Katari Anuradha was shot dead at point-blank range by a group of unidentified assailants at her office, while her husband, Katari Mohan, was critically injured and later succumbed to his injuries.Anuradha, a Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader and the first woman mayor of Chittoor, had assumed office earlier that year following the party’s victory in the municipal elections.

The motive behind the brutal attack remains unclear.Anuradha and Mohan reportedly had several rivals. The incident triggered tension across Chittoor district — the native place of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu — as Anuradha’s supporters resorted to arson, targeting properties of suspected individuals. In response, police intensified security in the faction-ridden Rayalaseema region, imposed prohibitory orders in Chittoor town, and deployed pickets in sensitive areas.

A severely injured Mohan was rushed to the Christian Medical College Hospital in Vellore. He suffered stab injuries to the neck and other parts of his body, along with two bullet wounds. This was reportedly the second attack on Mohan, who had earlier served as a corporator for two terms before ceding his seat to Anuradha in 2007.According to police, four assailants were involved in the attack. Two allegedly surrendered to the One Town police, while another reportedly surrendered in a local court, though police had not yet confirmed this.

A pistol was recovered from the crime scene, and special teams were formed to track down the remaining attackers.Eyewitnesses told the media that the assailants wore masks, with some claiming they were dressed in burqas to conceal their identities. They reportedly posed as locals coming to submit grievances to the mayor, who was holding a public grievance session at the time.Sources said there was virtually no security for the mayor that day — her official bodyguard was on leave, and the CCTV cameras at the municipal office were non-functional.

Anuradha arrived at her office around 10.30am, and the attack occurred around noon. The assailants entered without arousing suspicion and opened fire at close range, hitting Anuradha in the head. She collapsed on the spot, after which they attacked Mohan.Several corporators and visitors were inside the office during the assault, but none intervened as the attackers fled by jumping over the main gate. Police sources said the murder was premeditated — the assailants had conducted a recce of Anuradha and Mohan’s movements and exploited the lack of security at the premises. Around 50 people were waiting outside the office at the time, but the absence of armed guards emboldened the attackers.Following the incident, angry supporters set fire to the office of Mohan’s nephew and rival, Chandrasekhar alias Chintu. Vehicles parked outside were also damaged before fire personnel arrived and brought the blaze under control.