NEW DELHI: A 25-year-old tennis player, Radhika Yadav, was shot dead by her father at their family home in Gurugram, Haryana, on Thursday.
According to police, Deepak Yadav fired three bullets at Radhika while she was in the kitchen. One struck her neck, and two hit her in the back.
Police have arrested Deepak and recovered the murder weapon — a licensed revolver registered in his name.
"The father has confessed to the crime. The deceased was shot three times. Police teams have visited the spot. The reason behind the crime is that the deceased, Radhika, ran a tennis academy, and her father was against it," a police official said.
What led to Radhika’s murder: Three theories
Disagreement over Radhika's decisions
As per the initial investigation, Deepak and Radhika had a heated argument over her running a tennis academy in the neighbourhood.
“The accused admitted to the crime. He was not happy that Radhika was giving tennis coaching. He had asked her to stop, but she did not listen,” a police spokesperson said.
“The body has been kept in the mortuary for autopsy and investigation is on,” he added.
Instagram reels and a suspected affair
Another theory being explored is that Deepak was upset over Radhika’s presence on social media — particularly her Instagram reels — and a possible affair.
However, this angle has not been confirmed by either the police or the family.
‘Deep insecurity’
A source close to the investigation said that Deepak had developed "deep insecurities" due to frequent taunts from relatives and neighbours about "living off his daughter’s income."
Interestingly, the family was not facing financial difficulties. Deepak previously owned *Deep Accessories*, a car parts shop in old Gurugram, which he later closed. He also had rental income, and Radhika’s brother works as a real estate agent.
Neighbours noted that Deepak had worked hard to build Radhika’s tennis career.
Born on March 23, 2000, Radhika Yadav was a promising tennis player who had climbed the International Tennis Federation (ITF) women’s doubles rankings, reaching a career-best of 113 on November 4, 2024. She was also ranked fifth in Haryana’s women’s doubles standings.
She had graduated from Scottish High International School and passed her Class 12 commerce exams in 2018. Her passion for tennis began in her early school years.
According to police, Deepak Yadav fired three bullets at Radhika while she was in the kitchen. One struck her neck, and two hit her in the back.
Police have arrested Deepak and recovered the murder weapon — a licensed revolver registered in his name.
"The father has confessed to the crime. The deceased was shot three times. Police teams have visited the spot. The reason behind the crime is that the deceased, Radhika, ran a tennis academy, and her father was against it," a police official said.
What led to Radhika’s murder: Three theories
Disagreement over Radhika's decisions
As per the initial investigation, Deepak and Radhika had a heated argument over her running a tennis academy in the neighbourhood.
“The accused admitted to the crime. He was not happy that Radhika was giving tennis coaching. He had asked her to stop, but she did not listen,” a police spokesperson said.
“The body has been kept in the mortuary for autopsy and investigation is on,” he added.
Instagram reels and a suspected affair
Another theory being explored is that Deepak was upset over Radhika’s presence on social media — particularly her Instagram reels — and a possible affair.
However, this angle has not been confirmed by either the police or the family.
‘Deep insecurity’
A source close to the investigation said that Deepak had developed "deep insecurities" due to frequent taunts from relatives and neighbours about "living off his daughter’s income."
Interestingly, the family was not facing financial difficulties. Deepak previously owned *Deep Accessories*, a car parts shop in old Gurugram, which he later closed. He also had rental income, and Radhika’s brother works as a real estate agent.
Neighbours noted that Deepak had worked hard to build Radhika’s tennis career.
Born on March 23, 2000, Radhika Yadav was a promising tennis player who had climbed the International Tennis Federation (ITF) women’s doubles rankings, reaching a career-best of 113 on November 4, 2024. She was also ranked fifth in Haryana’s women’s doubles standings.
She had graduated from Scottish High International School and passed her Class 12 commerce exams in 2018. Her passion for tennis began in her early school years.
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