Gurugram, July 11 — 25-year-old former state-level tennis player Radhika Yadav was shot dead by her father, Deepak Yadav, inside their Gurugram residence on Thursday morning. The murder, which took place around 10:30 a.m., has stunned the local community and raised serious concerns over deep-rooted patriarchal pressures.
Police said Radhika was in the kitchen when Deepak, 49, fired three bullets into her from behind using his licensed revolver. According to investigators, the father was enraged by persistent taunts from residents of Wazirabad village, who mocked him for relying financially on his daughter.
“Whenever I went to the village to get milk, people made fun of me, saying I lived off my daughter’s income,” Deepak confessed during interrogation, according to police officials. “Some even questioned her character. I was extremely disturbed and told her to close the academy, but she didn’t listen.”
The tension had reportedly escalated in recent weeks, particularly after Radhika refused to shut down her newly established tennis academy—an independent venture she had launched despite her father’s disapproval.
“It affected my dignity. I was very stressed. So I shot her,” Deepak told police in his statement.
Radhika’s uncle, Kuldeep Yadav, who lives on the ground floor of the same house, was the first to respond to the gunshots. In his First Information Report (FIR), Kuldeep stated that he rushed upstairs with his son, Piyush, after hearing a loud noise and found Radhika lying motionless in the kitchen. The revolver was found discarded in the drawing room.
Kuldeep and Piyush immediately drove Radhika to Asia Moringo Hospital in Sector 56, where she was declared dead on arrival.
“She was a talented player and had won many trophies. I can’t understand why this happened,” Kuldeep said in disbelief in his written complaint to police.
According to police, only Deepak, his wife Manju, and Radhika were present in the home at the time of the incident. Manju Yadav has reportedly refused to provide a written statement.
The case has sent ripples through the sporting community, with Radhika remembered not just for her achievements on the tennis court but also for her commitment to nurturing young talent through her academy.
Deepak Yadav has been taken into custody and is expected to face charges under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, including murder. The investigation is ongoing.
