Shocking Motive in Tennis Star’s Killing, Probe Underway

GG News Bureau
Gurugram, 11th July: In a shocking incident from Gurugram, 25-year-old national-level tennis player Radhika Yadav was shot dead by her father at their residence on Thursday, allegedly following months of domestic tension over her financial independence, social media presence, and a past music video appearance.

The accused, 49-year-old Deepak Yadav, a former bank employee, was arrested and confessed to the crime during initial police questioning. According to police sources, Deepak fired five shots—three of which struck Radhika in the back—while she was preparing breakfast in the kitchen around 10:30 am.

Radhika, who had recently opened a tennis academy in Sector 57 after sustaining a shoulder injury that paused her playing career, had reportedly become the primary earning member of the family. This shift in dynamic allegedly drew taunts from Deepak’s native village of Wazirabad, where he was often ridiculed for depending on his daughter’s income.

“People in my village used to mock me, saying I lived off my daughter’s earnings. Some even questioned her character,” Deepak said in his confession, recorded in the FIR. He had reportedly urged Radhika several times to shut down her academy—a demand she had refused.

Police said the situation further escalated after Radhika appeared in a music video titled Karwaan, released a year ago by independent artist INAAM and produced by LLF Records. Deepak had objected to her appearance in the video and asked her to remove it from her social media platforms, but she refused.

Radhika’s uncle, Kuldeep Yadav, who lives on the ground floor of the same building, told police that he rushed upstairs upon hearing gunshots and found Radhika lying on the kitchen floor, motionless. The revolver was found in the adjacent drawing room. “My son and I immediately took her to Asia Maringo Hospital in Sector 56, but doctors declared her dead on arrival,” he said in his police statement.

Kuldeep, who filed the FIR, told the authorities that only Deepak, his wife Manju Yadav, and Radhika were present in the house at the time. Manju, Radhika’s mother, was reportedly locked in her room, citing illness, and has declined to provide a written statement.

“She was a prominent tennis player who had won many trophies. I am shocked by her death and cannot understand why she was murdered,” Kuldeep added.

Police have taken Deepak Yadav into custody under charges of murder, and further investigation is underway. The revolver used in the crime was a licensed .32 bore firearm registered in his name.

The tragic killing of a young athlete—once celebrated for her achievements on the court—has left the sports fraternity stunned, and raised fresh questions about deep-rooted patriarchy, societal stigma, and the dangers of unchecked domestic resentment.