First woman mayor of Chittoor shot dead

Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh): Five assailants barged into Chittoor Municipal Corporation office and shot dead mayor Katari Anuradha, 41, from point blank range. She was Chittoor's first woman mayor, whose husband, Katari Mohan, was critically wounded in the attack. She had assumed office last year after Andhra Pradesh's ruling TDP won municipal polls. Personal enmity was said to be the motive behind the assault, but police were investigating other angles including political rivalry as well. “The investigation is open. We are probing the case from various aspects,“ said Chittoor district police superintendent G Srinivas.