Katari couple murder: Five get death sentence

In a sensational verdict, the IX Additional District and Sessions Court in Chittoor on Friday, October 31, 2025, awarded death penalty to five accused in the brutal murder case of former Chittoor Mayor Katari Anuradha and her husband Katari Mohan.

The court found all the five accused – Chandrasekhar alias Chintu (A1), Venkata Chalapathi alias Mulabagilu Venkatesh (A2), Jayaprakash Reddy (A3), Manjunath (A4) and Venkatesh alias Gangannapalli Venkatesh (A5) guilty of murder and criminal conspiracy and sentenced them to death penalty.

The double murder that took place at the Chittoor Municipal Corporation office in November 2015 had sent shockwaves across the state. Anuradha and Mohan were attacked in broad daylight by a gang reportedly hired for political and personal fights.

Chittoor city police recorded the statements of 57 witnesses and filed a chargesheet against 27 accused. The court acquitted 22 people earlier this month. The verdict, coming after a decade, ended a deadlock in the region’s most high-profile murder cases.