Andhra corporator commits suicide

A corporator in Chittoor town of Andhra Pradesh allegedly committed suicide on Thursday, a day after he was arrested and questioned by police in the murder case of the mayor and her husband.

Sivaprasad Reddy, who was released from police custody in the morning, returned home and allegedly committed suicide.

The 46-year-old was found hanging from the ceiling fan with a 'saree'. In a suicide note, he alleged that he was unable to bear the police harassment.

The incident has given a new twist to the case relating to the murder of mayor Katari Anuradha and her husband Katari Mohan. The couple were murdered by a gang of five masked men in the municipal office on November 17.

Police have so far arrested eight persons in the case. Prime accused Chandrasekhar alias Chintu, a relative of Mohan, surrendered in a court on December 1.

Sivaprasad Reddy, who was elected to the municipal body as an independent, was said to be an aide of former legislator C.K. Jayachandra Reddy alias C.K. Babu.

Babu, a four-time legislator who dominated Chittoor politics for long, escaped but two people, including his gunman, died in the attack in 2007.

Mohan was the prime accused in the case.