Katari Couple Murder Case: Court Defers Final Verdict Again

The court, which had earlier found S. Chandra Sekhar, Venkata Chalapathi, Jayaprakash Reddy, Manjunath, and Venkatesh guilty, deferred sentencing to Friday citing procedural reasons.

The convicts were brought to the court amid tight security, with police enforcing a three-tier cordon around the premises due to the sensitive nature of the case. The proceedings, lasting over four hours, included the court’s examination of sealed reports detailing the convicts’ psychological condition, social background, and conduct in prison before adjourning the matter.

The case pertains to the murder of Katari Anuradha and her husband, Katari Mohan, inside the Chittoor Municipal Corporation office on November 17, 2015. The couple were attacked by assailants disguised in burqas — Anuradha was shot dead inside her chamber, while Mohan was chased and stabbed when he tried to flee.

The prime accused, Chandra Sekhar, Mohan’s nephew, was arrested along with others following the incident.