In a landmark judgment that has shaken Andhra Pradesh, the Chittoor court on Friday sentenced five men to death in the brutal 2015 double murder of former Chittoor Mayor Katari Anuradha and her husband, Katari Mohan, a senior TDP leader.
After nearly a decade of investigation, the XI Additional District and Sessions Judge N. Srinivasa Rao delivered the long-awaited verdict, calling it one of the rarest of rare cases. The five convicts, Sriram Chandra Sekhar alias Chintu, Venkatachalapathi, Jaya Prakash Reddy, Manjunath, and Venkatesh, were found guilty of executing the gruesome killings driven by personal, financial, and political rivalry.
A chilling murder that shocked the state
The incident dates back to November 17, 2015, when an armed gang stormed into the Chittoor Municipal Corporation office. In a horrifying act, Mayor Anuradha was gunned down inside her chamber. Her husband Mohan, who tried to escape, was chased and brutally stabbed. The daylight double murder sent shockwaves across Andhra Pradesh and became one of the most sensational cases in recent memory. The key accused, Sriram Chandra Sekhar (Chintu), was none other than Mohan’s nephew. Investigations revealed that bitter disputes over money, property, and political influence had turned deadly, leading Chintu to mastermind the killings.
A case that stretched over a decade
The trial lasted almost ten years, with the case being postponed more than 350 times. The court examined 122 witnesses and reviewed extensive forensic and circumstantial evidence before reaching the verdict. Out of the 23 people initially charged, five were convicted of direct involvement in the murders. Sixteen others accused of providing money, shelter, and weapons were acquitted due to lack of evidence. One accused was discharged, and another died during the trial.
The convicts were brought to court amid tight security, with a three-tier police cordon surrounding the premises due to the case’s sensitive nature. Emotions ran high as the judge pronounced the death penalty, declaring the crime cold-blooded and meticulously planned. Medical examinations will be conducted for the convicts before they are shifted to the Kadapa Central Jail.
The court’s decision to impose the death sentence underscores the gravity of the crime, which stands as a grim reminder of how power, greed, and betrayal can lead to unthinkable acts of violence. With the pronouncement of the death penalty, the Katari double murder case will now go down as one of the rarest of rare judgments in the judicial history of Andhra Pradesh.
