Headlines
Woman mayor of Andhra's Chittoor town murdered in office
Hyderabad, Nov 17 Chittoor Mayor Katari Anuradha was brutally murdered and her husband Katari Mohan was critically injured in an attack on Tuesday by three men allegedly wearing burqas, police said.
The three men barged into the office of the Chittoor Municipal Corporation in Andhra Pradesh and attacked the couple, both leaders of the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP).
According to witnesses, the attackers opened fire at point blank range and also attacked the couple with knives and daggers as some corporators and others present there watched in horror.
While Anuradha, who was shot in the head, succumbed while being taken to a hospital, her husband was in critical condition.
Mohan was first taken to a hospital in Chittoor and later shifted to the Christian Medical College (CMC) Hospital in Vellore in neighbouring Tamil Nadu.
The three attackers, suspected to be from Karnataka, later surrendered before police.
Police seized a locally-made firearm and burqas from the scene.
Mohan's supporters suspect the involvement of his brother-in-law Chandrasekhar alias Chintu. He reportedly had some financial dispute with the couple.
An irate mob later set afire a few vehicles at Chintu's house.
Police believe it was a well-planned attack as the mayor's gunman was not present and the CCTV cameras in the municipal office were not functioning.
Mohan is the prime accused in the case of attempt to murder of former legislator C.K. Jayachandra Reddy alias C.K. Babu. Chintu is also an accused in the case.
Babu, a four-time legislator who dominated Chittoor politics for long, had escaped but two people including his gunman died in the attack in 2007. Babu quit the Congress and joined the YSR Congress party last year.
Tension gripped the town following the killing. Police deployed additional forces to prevent any untoward incident. The borders with neighbouring states Tamil Nadu and Karnataka were sealed.
Home Minister Chinna Rajappa rushed to Chittoor. Senior police officials visited the crime scene and launched an investigation.
Chittoor is the home district of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, who condemned the attack terming it "inhuman".
Naidu told reporters in Vijayawada that the guilty would be brought to book and punished no matter how powerful they are.
1 hour ago
Quad Summit will be more strategically aligned and relevant than ever before, robust agenda expected: White House
2 hours ago
US sues ship owner and manager over Baltimore bridge collapse, seeks $100 million
6 hours ago
US Fed cuts interest rate by a half percentage point
7 hours ago
Harris 'entirely supportive' of hold on large munitions while standing by Israel's right to self-defence
12 hours ago
TikTok and Justice Department Clash in Court Over Possible US Ban
12 hours ago
White House Calls JD Vance's Comments on Kamala Harris' Safety "Dangerous"
12 hours ago
Kamala Harris Contacts Trump After Florida Assassination Attempt, Expresses Relief at His Safety
12 hours ago
India and US to Explore Enhanced Cooperation Across Energy Value Chain
12 hours ago
President Joe Biden to address UN General Assembly and meet world leaders in New York
12 hours ago
Modi is a fantastic man, Republican candidate Donald Trump's high praise for PM Modi
13 hours ago
Milan Bulchandani Presents Best Practices for Leveraging AI in Social Media Customer Interaction Strategies at NFRA 33rd Annual Conference
13 hours ago
Harris Vows to Collaborate with Private Investors to Increase US Housing Supply
13 hours ago
Republican Candidate Donald Trump Praises PM Modi, Calls Him "Fantastic"