Gurugram, July 11: As investigations continue into the chilling murder of former state-level tennis player Radhika Yadav, police on Friday said they are examining all possible angles — including what her mother, Manju Yadav, was doing at the time of the shooting.
Radhika, 25, was shot dead by her father, Deepak Yadav, inside their residence in Gurugram’s Sushant Lok on Thursday morning. The FIR, filed by Radhika’s uncle Kuldeep Yadav, confirms that Deepak, his wife Manju, and Radhika were all present on the first floor of their Sector 57 house when the incident occurred.
Kuldeep, who lives with his family on the ground floor of the double-storey house, told police he heard a loud explosion around 10:30 a.m. and rushed upstairs. “I saw my niece Radhika lying in a pool of blood in the kitchen, and the revolver was found in the drawing room,” he stated in the FIR. He and his son, Piyush, immediately drove Radhika to Asia Maringo Hospital in Sector 56, where she was declared dead on arrival.
Police now say Deepak fired at least five shots, three of which struck Radhika in the back while she was cooking. The murder weapon, a licensed .32 bore revolver, was recovered from the house.
Initially, there had been conflicting reports about the presence of Manju Yadav. Earlier accounts suggested she was on the ground floor and mistook the gunshots for a pressure cooker blast. However, the FIR and new statements confirm she was on the first floor during the shooting, prompting police to question her role or awareness of the events as they unfolded.
“We are looking into all circumstances surrounding the incident, including what the mother was doing at the time,” said a senior police official familiar with the case.
Police sources reiterated that the motive, as per Deepak Yadav’s confession, was tied to social stigma. He reportedly told investigators he was deeply disturbed by taunts from villagers who mocked him for relying on his daughter’s earnings.
“She ran a tennis academy, and her father was unhappy with it,” Gurugram police spokesperson Sandeep Singh said.
The family’s son, Dheeraj Yadav, was not present at the time of the shooting, Kuldeep confirmed in his statement.
Radhika was widely respected as a promising tennis talent and had recently set up her own academy to train young players. Her murder has sent shockwaves through the local community and the sports fraternity.
While Deepak Yadav remains in police custody, investigators are now focused on gathering forensic evidence, verifying timelines, and questioning other family members to build a comprehensive understanding of the events leading to Radhika’s tragic death.
