Katari Anuradha became the Mayor after the TDP won a thumping majority of 36 wards out of a total of 50 in the corporation.
The Hindu Katari Anuradha became the Mayor after the TDP won a thumping majority of 36 wards out of a total of 50 in the corporation.
Three persons barged into the Mayor’s chamber and attacked her and Katari Mohan, a senior TDP leader.
Chittoor Mayor Katari Anuradha and her husband Katari Mohan, a senior TDP leader, were brutally murdered at the Mayor’s office by three persons on Tuesday noon. The Mayor, who received severe knife injuries and bullet injuries in the head, died on the spot, while Mr. Mohan died in hospital.
According to preliminary information, when the Mayor was in her chamber and her husband in the adjoining room, the three barged into the chamber, though some municipal staff asked them to wait, and shot the couple. They also attacked the two with knives before escaping.
Municipal officials and TDP leaders rushed the couple to the Chittor General Hospital. Mr. Mohan’s condition deteriorated in the hospital and he was shifted to the Christian Medical College Hospital in Vellore, Tamil Nadu, where he died.
Security has been tightened at vulnerable points in the town to avert any untoward incident.Mr. Mohan is the prime accused in the case of attempt to murder former Chittoor MLA CK Jayachandra Reddy alias CK Babu. Babu escaped, but two of his gunmen were killed in the attack that took place a decade ago,
Mr. Mohan seriously tried for the TDP MLA ticket from Chittoor, but he could not succeed. He, however, made his spouse the Mayor. He led the party to a thumping majority with 36 corporators out of a total of 50.
It was suspected that while the assailants, with two wearing burkhas, barged into the Mayor’s chamber, four others waited outside to make it easy for the attackers to escape. All are believed to be from Karnataka.
Meanwhile, two persons surrendered before the Chittoor-I town police. But it was not clear whether they were among the attackers or had approached the police for protection in view of the volatile situation in the town.(The Hindu)
