Chittoor Mayor shot dead while trying to save husband

Anuradha took two bullets at very close range, one in her left eye and another on the forehead. Her heroic act gave Mohan enough time to duck behind chairs and a table although the assailants shot him and stabbed several times. Katari Mohan is fighting for his life with critical injuries. Chittoor Police officials hinted at internal rivalry within factions of Telugu Desam Party led to attack on the couple. Officials said that the prime suspect is Katari Mohan’s nephew K Chandrasekhar who had been at loggerheads with the couple over awarding water supply tanker contracts and municipal civil works to his group. Officials are also looking at involvement of henchmen of former Chittoor MLA C K Jayachandra Reddy.

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Anuradha, who emerged as the sole candidate for the top post after the Telugu Desam Party swept the Chittoor Municipal Corporation polls, was in the Mayor’s chamber in the Chittor Municipal Corporation complex along with her husband Katari Mohan, a senior TDP leader, when three persons armed with guns and daggers barged in and shot at them. While Anuradha was shot at point blank range and then stabbed several times, her husband was also shot and stabbed. Officials said that by the time some staff members and TDP corporators reached the chambers to help the couple, Anuradha was dead while Mohan was in a critical condition and shifted to a hospital.
Chittoor SP G Srinivas said that three persons wearing burqas barged into the Mayor’s office although staff members tried to stop them, and opened fire. “Old rivalry could be one reason. The other reason is the Kataris had developed some enmity among relatives also. We have not reached any conclusion and the investigation has just started,’’ an official said. All the attackers fled after brandishing weapons at anyone who tried to stop them.

Anuradha’s husband is allegedly involved in an attempt to murder former Congress MLA C K Jayachandra Reddy several years ago. Katari Mohan, who had unsuccessfully contested the 2014 elections as MLA from Chittoor, was rushed to Christian Medical College at Vellore. While her husband lost the election, the TDP won the municipal elections and Anuradha was made the Mayor. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu condemned the incident. “It is a dastardly act. Have you ever seen a woman shot dead like this? Who must be the persons who can attack a woman leader like this? In the garb of politics, some people have done this. The Government will not tolerate this kind of incidents,’’ Naidu said.

Mohan and his nephew were also fighting to gain control of the Chittoor Marketing Yard. As news of the attack spread, supporters of Mohan attacked the office of his nephew and set two vehicles on fire. Sensing that violence may spread out of control, police clamped section 144 in Chittoor district.

Katari Mohan was arrested in July 2008 in connection with two attempts to murder former Chittoor MLA C K Chandrasekhara Reddy. Out on bail, Mohan himself survived two attempts on his life allegedly by henchmen of Reddy and went into hiding, mostly living in Karnataka. He started visiting Chittoor only after the TDP came to power last May and his wife was elected Mayor.