Five Sentenced to Death for 2015 Murder of Former Chittoor Mayor Katari Anuradha

A district court in Andhra Pradesh on Friday sentenced five men to death for the brutal 2015 double murder of former Chittoor Mayor Katari Anuradha and her husband Katari Mohan inside the Chittoor Municipal Corporation office.

The convicts — Sriram Chandrasekhar (the couple’s nephew), Govinda Swami Srinivasaiah Venkatachalapathy alias Venkatesh, Jayaprakash Reddy alias Jayareddy, Manjunath alias Manju, and Muniratnam Venkatesh — were found guilty of murder and conspiracy.

On November 17, 2015, the assailants entered the office disguised in burqas, attacked the couple with knives and daggers, and shot Anuradha dead. Police investigations later revealed that the killings stemmed from a family property dispute.

Tight security was deployed in and around the court during the verdict. Authorities barred public entry and prohibited gatherings or celebrations to prevent any untoward incidents.