Tragic End for Promising Tennis Player: What Led to Radhika Yadav's Shocking Murder?
A Life Cut Short
In Gurugram, the cremation of Radhika Yadav, a former state-level tennis player, took place on Friday evening, just a day after her father allegedly shot her at close range. This tragic incident has left many questions unanswered.
Deepak Yadav, aged 49, admitted to the crime, stating that he felt humiliated for relying on his daughter's earnings from her tennis academy. He was presented in court on Friday and placed in police custody for one day.
The postmortem report revealed that Radhika, only 25 years old, sustained four gunshot wounds—three to her back and one to her shoulder. Following the autopsy, her body was returned to her family for the final rites in their village in Wazirabad.
The atmosphere during the funeral was somber, with around 150 attendees, including her grieving family. Her brother, Dheeraj, performed the last rites.
Mourners expressed disbelief over the murder, questioning how a father could harm his beloved daughter. Speculation arose regarding the motives behind the shooting—was it related to her tennis academy, a music video she had participated in, or perhaps a matter of pride?
Deepak Yadav's confession indicated that he was often ridiculed for depending on Radhika's income, which police sources suggest was a significant point of contention between them.
According to Gurugram police spokesperson Sandeep Singh, Deepak had repeatedly urged Radhika to abandon her academy, but she refused. Frustrated, he resorted to violence.
Deepak, who had reportedly been feeling depressed for the past two weeks, believed he was financially stable enough to support himself without his daughter's involvement in the academy.
Radhika had recently appeared in a romantic music video, which may have further strained family relations.
Authorities are exploring all angles of the case, including the whereabouts of Radhika's mother during the incident. An FIR filed by her uncle Kuldeep Yadav states that Radhika's mother, Manju Yadav, was present on the first floor of their home when the shooting occurred.
The family lived on the first floor, while Deepak resided on the ground floor with his family. At the time of the incident, only Radhika, her mother, and Deepak were on the first floor.
Kuldeep reported hearing a loud noise around 10:30 AM and rushed upstairs, where he found Radhika in a pool of blood. He and his son quickly transported her to a nearby hospital, but she was pronounced dead upon arrival.
Initially, it was believed that Manju was on the ground floor and ran upstairs after hearing the gunfire, which she described as sounding like a pressure cooker explosion.
Kuldeep expressed his shock over Radhika's murder, highlighting her achievements as a talented tennis player with numerous accolades. He noted that Deepak owned a licensed revolver, which was found at the scene.
As Deepak was brought to court, a throng of reporters awaited answers regarding his actions. However, he was swiftly escorted inside, avoiding questions.
After the hearing, he emerged without the towel covering his head but continued to evade inquiries from the media.
Radhika had participated in tennis tournaments earlier this year in Indore and Kuala Lumpur, although these were qualifying events. She held a ranking of 1999 by the International Tennis Federation and had previously achieved an AITA Under-18 ranking of 75.
Anil Dhupar, an official from the All India Tennis Association, expressed his sorrow over the incident, recalling Radhika's promising future and her aspirations to establish an academy for budding players.
Suman Kapur, president of the Haryana Tennis Association, noted that Radhika had been part of the Haryana team during the 2023 National Games but had not made the state team since then.