A sessions court in Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh, sentenced five individuals to death on Friday for their involvement in the murder of Chittoor Mayor Katari Anuradha and her spouse, Katari Mohan, which occurred in 2015 at the Municipal Corporation office.
Law enforcement officials reported that the court imposed capital punishment on Chandrasekhar, GS Venkatachalapathi, Jayaprakash Reddy, Manjunath, and Venkatesh for their participation in the crime.
The incident transpired on November 17, 2015, when the attackers, disguised in burqas, entered the Chittoor Municipal Corporation office and opened fire on Anuradha while she was in her office. Mohan, who hurried to help her, was also killed during the attack. The main perpetrator, Chandrasekhar, is Anuradha’s nephew, and authorities indicated that the motive was rooted in familial disputes over property and political issues.
Originally, the case involved 23 individuals. However, the court subsequently dismissed Kasaram Ramesh (A22) after he demonstrated his lack of involvement, and S Srinivasachari (A21) passed away during the trial, leaving 21 defendants, of which five were convicted and sentenced to death.
In anticipation of the verdict, security measures were heightened throughout Chittoor. Police enforced Section 30 of the Police Act, which prohibits public assemblies and demonstrations. Chittoor Sub-Division DSP T Sainath requested public cooperation with law enforcement to ensure peace, stating, “No rallies or celebrations are allowed. Social media will be under close scrutiny.” He also mentioned that security around the homes of individuals involved in the case has been intensified.