Chittoor mayor, husband killed by 5 assailants

Chittoor mayor and Telugu Desam leader Katari Anuradha and her husband K. Mohan were killed by five assailants in the mayor’s chambers at the corporation office in Chittoor town on Tuesday.

While Anuradha died on the spot, Mohan died nine hours later at the CMC hospital in Vellore.

Two of the five assailants have surrendered before the police.

This is the first time that a senior woman politician of the state has been murdered.

The killers, disguised in burkhas, arrived with a bouquet and posed as petitioners who had come to submit grievances to the mayor. They walked into her chambers and opened fire at the couple. Later, they stabbed them with knives. By the time municipal staff and the public outside the office realised what had happened, the killers escaped on two-wheelers.

Director-general of police J.V. Ramudu said, “The assailants used .32 calibre revolvers and another country-made firearm and knives. We found the two revolvers and a knife at the scene of offence. Two of the five killers have surrendered to the police and the others are absconding.”

The police has identified the five assailants as Mohan’s nephew Chintu alias Chandrasekhar, Venkata Chalapati, Manju, Venkatesh and Reddappa alias Jayaprakash. Venkata Chalapati and Manju have surrendered before the police. Unconfirmed reports said that one of the three absconding had also surrendered in court.

Additional DG (law and order) R.P. Thakur said, “The assailants had conducted a reconnaissance before the attack. They did not strike when Mohan was alone in front of the party office. They wanted to eliminate both wife and husband and thus attacked at the office when they were together.”

The Chittoor corporation office is situated near the RTC bus station under the Chittoor One Town police station limits, which is generally crowded. Anuradha, who was shot in the eye and chest, died on the spot.