 "‘Depressed’, earned lakhs in rent: Deepak Yadav, man who ‘killed’ his daughter Radhika in ‘fit of rage’")
The murder of a young tennis player allegedly by her father in Haryana’s Gurugram has shocked the nation. Radhika Yadav, 25, was shot dead at her home in the city’s upscale Sushant Lok area on Thursday (July 10) morning.
Deepak Yadav, the father of the state-level tennis player, has reportedly confessed to killing his daughter. He allegedly took his licensed revolver and fired five shots at Radhika, three of which hit her, leading to her death.
But who is Radhika Yadav’s father and what was his motive to ‘kill’ his daughter?
Let’s take a closer look.
Who is Deepak Yadav?
Deepak Yadav lived with his wife and daughter on the first floor of their two-storey residence in Gurgaon’s Sushant Lok-II. He owned multiple properties in the city, earning between Rs 15-17 lakh per month in rental income.
“Deepak has several rental properties across Gurugram. He owns a luxurious farmhouse, and everyone in the village knows he is wealthy,” an acquaintance of the accused in Wazirabad village told NDTV.
Deepak’s son Dheeraj, who worked as a property dealer, lived separately from the family.
Radhika’s father spent Rs 2.5 crore on her tennis training, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Yashwant Yadav said, as per India Today. The 25-year-old had participated in several national and international tournaments. She achieved her career-best ranking of 75 in Girls Under-18, 53 in Women’s Doubles, and 35 in Women’s Singles, according to All India Tennis Association (AITA) records.
Deepak owned a licensed .32 bore revolver, which he allegedly used to kill his daughter. “Only people with the right connections and money can manage that kind of licence. No common man keeps it,” his acquaintance said.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsWhy Deepak Yadav ‘killed’ his daughter
Deepak Yadav allegedly gunned down his daughter, Radhika Yadav, on Thursday at 10.30 am at their Gurugram home in a fit of rage. A war of words had erupted between the duo over shutting down the tennis academy that Radhika ran, the police investigating the murder told CNN-News18.
They said that Deepak’s frustration stemmed from societal pressure and taunts. The father was reportedly being “taunted” for relying on his daughter’s income. “He wanted her to shut down the academy, but she refused. He finally shot her dead over the same dispute,” ACP Yadav said.
During interrogation, Deepak said his daughter opened a tennis academy after sustaining a shoulder injury. He told the police that whenever he visited his village in Wazirabad, he was mocked for “living off his daughter’s earnings”.
As per the FIR, accessed by Hindustan Times, the man said the taunts hurt his "pride" and claimed he was depressed for the past 15 days.
There are also reports that Deepak took objection to Radhika’s social media presence, especially her Instagram reels.
Inspired by Elvish Yadav, a popular content creator from her village, Radhika wanted to become a social media influencer after her injury. “Papa, I have enough content in my mind. I’ve played enough. I will now earn money,” she told Deepak, according to the India Today report.
The police have, however, denied reports of tension between the father and daughter over her social media.
According to cops, besides the duo, Radhika’s mother, Manju Yadav, was also present at home when the murder occurred. She described her husband to the police as “obsessive” who wanted their daughter to close her tennis academy, sources told CNN-News18.
The mother reportedly said that Deepak had been angry for the past three days over the academy and even threatened to kill Radhika.
The tennis player’s uncle, Kuldeep Yadav, who took her to the hospital after she was shot, said in his statement to the police that he was on the ground floor of their house when he suddenly heard a “loud explosion” at around 10.30 am. He said he rushed to the first floor and saw Radhika “lying in the kitchen and the revolver (used in the crime) was found in the drawing room.”
“After that, my son Piyush Yadav also rushed to the first floor. Both of us picked up Radhika and rushed her in our car to Asia Maringo Hospital in Sector 56, Gurugram. After checking, the doctor declared my niece dead,” Kuldeep said in the FIR.
Investigators are reportedly trying to find out who deleted Radhika’s social media accounts. “We are also probing whether any other family member was involved in the murder,” ACP Yashwant said.
Pawan Yadav, the Residents’ Welfare Association president of Sushant Lok Extension, who claimed he was close to the Yadav family, told Indian Express, “Some locals were small-minded and could not stand Radhika’s success… They commented on a reel she had made about her game and coaching. Her parents objected, and she had to delete her account.”
Deepak’s acquaintance conjectured there might be another reason behind the murder.
“When there is so much money, who in the village will say that he is living off his daughter’s money? Deepak is a very sophisticated man. He had even given up his studies to teach his daughter tennis. He bought tennis racquets worth Rs 2 lakh for his daughter. He loves his daughter very much. There may be a personal reason behind the murder, not tennis or the tennis academy,” the acquaintance told NDTV.
Meanwhile, a court in Gurugram on Friday (July 11) sent Deepak to a one-day police custody.
#WATCH | Gurugram Tennis Player murder case | Father of deceased Radhika Yadav, accused Deepak Yadav being brought out of the court. He has been sent to 1-day Police remand. pic.twitter.com/uyi4losDwh
— ANI (@ANI) July 11, 2025
“We have to recover the ammunition of his licensed revolver [used in the crime]. We have to verify how much ammunition he had procured,” a police official told reporters outside the court.
“The accused owns land in Kasam village near Rewari. We have to get the ammunition from there,” the official added.
With inputs from agencies
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
