On November 17, 2015, at around 11:45 am, two men wearing burqas entered the chamber of Chittoor Municipal Corporation Mayor Katari Anuradha while she was discussing corporation files with her husband and senior Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader Katari Mohan. Under the curtains, assassins armed with firearms and knives were hidden. Before the employees could understand what was happening, the sound of gunshots echoed in the corridor.
Mayor Anuradha fell, her blood pooled around her chair and splattered on the walls. Mohan tried to run away in a desperate attempt to save his life, pursued by a hail of bullets and knife attacks. He entered the conference hall and was about to exit at the other end when he slipped on the carpet and a fatal knife fell on his neck, just below his medulla oblongata. A few more hacks, and it’s all over.
Chittoor’s first woman mayor and her lieutenant lay lifeless – victims of one of the most brutal political murders in Andhra Pradesh’s recent memory. Panic spread outside the campus. The masked attackers pushed into a waiting car with the engine running. The waiting public, many with complaint petitions in hand, watched the unfolding horror and the blurry vision of a speeding car. Before the police could reach the spot amidst deafening sirens, the killers had disappeared into the maze of rural roads on the Chittoor-Karnataka border.
The conference hall of the Chittoor Municipal Corporation office where Katari Mohan was murdered.
The afternoon’s double murder soon gave rise to a tale of revenge, greed and betrayal – a conspiracy that rocked the corridors of power and, after a brief lull, reignited fear in the Chittoor Municipal Corporation limits. At the center of it stood one man: Sriram Chandrashekhar, alias “Chintu”, Mohan’s nephew and once the slain couple’s trusted bodyguard.
A story of loyalty, betrayal and revenge
Long before the bullets were fired in the mayor’s chamber, Chintu was a well-known face in the political circles of Chittoor. He was known for his confidence, power and connections. He was the person who “settled” all kinds of issues, from family feuds to land and financial disputes. A crowd of petitioners and aggrieved parties gathered at his office in Ganganapalle, under constant digital surveillance.
Katari Anuradha and Katari Mohan
Before becoming a shadow of the Katari family on the dusty streets of Chittoor, Chintu had studied in military institutions and worked abroad as a marine engineer, traveling in the Gulf and Southeast Asia. Returning to Chittoor in 2004, he set out to become a political influencer. When his uncle Mohan entered politics with TDP, Chintu found his identity. Together, the “Mama-Alludu” (uncle-nephew) duo navigated the turbulent political landscape of Chittoor, symbolizing loyalty and shared ambition. In 2006 and 2007, Chintu was also charged in three cases of attempt to murder Mohan’s rival former MLA CK Babu.
But ambition is often a double-edged sword. Over time, Chintu eclipsed Mohan’s charisma and local influence. When Anuradha became mayor, Chintu expected reward and recognition – but instead he was “sidelined”, as many in Chittoor believed. The Katari family distanced themselves from the man who had once fought for them.
Bearing insult after insult, Chintu’s humiliation turns to anger. Soon, he began to express his grievances openly to his followers, away from the Katari circle. He believed that with their new power, the Katari couple had ignored their sacrifices. A retired police officer, who wished to remain anonymous, recalled Chintu, “I created an empire for the Kataris by giving my life. But they want to erase my name.” By 2015, his hurt pride had turned into burning hatred and vengeance.
The five convicts: (from right) Sriram Chandrasekhar (Chintu), Venkat Chalapathi (Mulabagal Venkatesh), Manjunath, Jayaprakash Reddy and Venkatesh.
A few months before the double murder, Chintu quietly assembled a network of hired killers from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Their meetings took place in lodges, farmhouses and tourist destinations like Ooty, Kodaikanal and Goa – with each meeting offering cash rewards to the hitmen.
Sources say that all the recruits had previously worked with or for Katari Mohan. Chintu offered him money, protection and political support. By deploying “insiders”, he accomplished his conspiracy. Police later named 18 other people for providing logistics, shelter and other assistance.
For weeks before the murders, the killers conducted reconnaissance – tracking the mayor’s daily routine, mapping the office layout and planning entry and escape points. Weapons purchased: a country-made pistol, machetes, hunting knives and a car with fake number plates. The burqas and scarves were sourced locally under the pretext of donation to a poor family. An 80-year-old arms dealer from Chintamani, Karnataka supplied ammunition to Chintu.
A day or two before the murders, Chintu called a final meeting at a rented hideout near Chittoor. His orders were cold and concise: “Finish both of them. Quickly. Clear out and disappear.” Despite forming a hit squad, Chintu himself remained adamant on carrying out the murders. That fateful morning, a few minutes after the mayor and her husband entered his chamber, the execution was completed.
after
This massacre shocked Chittoor. Police secured the scene and recovered the first evidence – bullet casings, a piece of blood-stained burqa and broken glass. Eyewitnesses reported seeing a white car speeding towards the Bengaluru National Highway. CCTV camera footage confirmed the escape, triggering a massive interstate search operation. It would be impossible to catch Chintu, some people speculated. One of his followers then reportedly told investigators, “As a sailor, he knows the sea and the ports and can avoid bays or straits.”
The then Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu ordered the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under Superintendent of Police Gattamaneni Srinivas. The SIT tracked call data, CCTV footage and traffic routes, tracing phone pings that matched the killers’ escape routes. Within a few days, an important clue emerged – a mobile number linked to Chintu.
Interstate raids were conducted in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Two suspects were arrested near Kuppam, close to the border, and their confession yielded new leads. Firearms and mobile phones were recovered in a raid in Hosur in Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu. On November 30, 2015 – thirteen days after the murders – Chintu surrendered before the Chittoor court. Between 16 November and 28 December 2015, police arrested 20 accused, and in early 2016 arrested two more accused.
The police named five people in the charge sheet: Chintu, Venkat Chalapathi (Mulabagal Venkatesh), Jayaprakash Reddy, Manjunath and Venkatesh (Venkatesh) (A1 to A5 in that order). It was Chintu who shot and killed the mayor with a country-made pistol. When Mohan tried to escape, Mulbagal Venkatesh shot at him, and Jayaprakash Reddy and Manjunath chased him and killed Mohan as he fell near the door. According to the charge sheet, Jayaprakash Reddy hit Mohan on the shoulder and arms, while Manjunath blocked the corridor, preventing the staff from intervening. The attackers then took off their burqas and escaped using the transport arranged outside.
This case revolved in Chittoor District Sessions Court for eight years. The prosecution argued that this was not a crime of passion but a premeditated political execution. More than 180 witnesses testified – municipal employees, forensic experts and visitors who had seen the masked killers. Ballistic tests matched the bullets with the seized weapons, forensic reports confirmed incriminating evidence and CCTV camera footage revealed the escape.
Of the 23 accused, one was dropped due to lack of evidence and another died during the trial. Sixteen were acquitted due to lack of evidence. Despite Chintu’s lawyers’ claims of conspiracy and insufficient evidence, the prosecution’s case was strong. The court convicted A1 to A5 of murder, criminal conspiracy and unlawful assembly. On October 30, 2025,The Sessions Court declared the case to be one of the “rarest of the rare” and sentenced five people to death. Chintu did not show any emotion while the verdict was read. Outside, supporters of the slain couple welcomed the verdict.
A decade later, the double murder remains etched in Chittoor’s memory – a reminder of how politics can swallow its own. A framed and garlanded portrait of Mayor Katari Anuradha now hangs inside the corporation office.
“We chased the shadow across three states, but justice was worth the wait.”an SIT officer
For the police, the case became a model of meticulous investigation and interstate coordination – praised for its speed and accuracy. “We chased Chhaya across three states, but justice was worth the wait,” recalls an SIT official on condition of anonymity.
For the people of Chittoor, Chintu remains a tragic study in self-destruction: a marine engineer turned political innovator who fell to his own ambition and vengeance.
“This incident has created fear among the general public. Since the case has now been referred to the Andhra Pradesh High Court for confirmation, it remains to be seen whether the conviction and sentence will be upheld.”Nallari Dwarkanath ReddyChairman, Andhra Pradesh Bar Council
“This incident created fear among the general public. Since the matter is now in Andhra PradeshHigh Court for confirmation, it remains to be seen whether the conviction and sentence will be upheld,” says Nallari Dwarkanath Reddy, president of Andhra Pradesh Bar Council.
