2015 Chittoor mayor murder case: Five convicts handed death penalty by Andhra Pradesh court

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A sessions court in Andhra Pradesh’s Chittoor on Friday awarded the death penalty to five men for the 2015 murder of Chittoor Mayor Katari Anuradha and her husband, Katari Mohan, inside the Municipal Corporation office.

The couple was murdered on November 17, 2015. The prime accused was identified as Mohan's nephew, Sriram Chandrasekhar, who was found guilty along with Govinda Swami Srinivasaiah Venkatachalapathy, alias Venkatesh; Jayaprakash Reddy, alias Jayareddy; Manjunath, alias Manju; and Muniratnam Venkatesh.

They had come disguised in burqas and attacked the couple with knives and daggers and then shot at Katari Anuradha. The police had said that the attack was carried out following a family dispute, according to a report by NDTV.

Anuradha, who belonged to the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), sustained severe injuries on her face and abdomen and died on her way to the hospital. Mohan was taken to the Christian Medical College hospital in Vellore in Tamil Nadu and succumbed to his injuries there.

The police made special security arrangements ahead of the verdict. They only allowed court staff inside the premises and restricted public gatherings, rallies, or celebrations.