 "According to police, Deepak Yadav was upset over his daughter, Radhika Yadav, running a tennis academy and earning independently. Image courtesy: X")
On the morning of July 10, 25-year-old Radhika Yadav was allegedly shot dead by her father inside their home in Gurugram’s Sector 57. A state-level tennis player and a coach, Radhika had been living with her family while running her own tennis academy in the city.
But what happened that day was something no one could have seen coming.
Her father, 49-year-old Deepak Yadav, allegedly pulled out his licensed .32 bore revolver and fired multiple shots at her. Three bullets hit Radhika in the back, killing her on the spot.
Deepak was arrested soon after, and the Gurugram Police have booked him for murder.
So what could possibly drive a father to such an act? Here’s what we know so far.
Dispute over Radhika’s tennis academy
According to police, Deepak Yadav was upset over his daughter running a tennis academy and earning independently. In his confession, the 49-year-old builder told officers that he had been facing taunts from people in his village, which had begun to affect him deeply.
“When I used to go to Wazirabad village to get milk, people used to taunt me, saying that I live off my daughter’s earnings. This troubled me a lot. Some people even questioned my daughter’s character. I told my daughter to close her tennis academy, but she refused,” he reportedly told police.
He said the remarks hurt his pride and left him feeling increasingly stressed.
“This situation kept bothering me as it hurt my dignity. I was very troubled and stressed. Because of this tension, I took out my licensed revolver, and when my daughter Radhika was cooking in the kitchen, I shot her three times from behind, hitting her waist. I have killed my daughter,” he confessed during interrogation.
Police said Deepak had been battling depression for nearly 15 days before the incident. The constant social criticism over his daughter’s earnings and lifestyle had become difficult for him to cope with.
Described as a promising and energetic athlete, Radhika had studied at Scottish High International School and completed Class 12 in commerce in 2018. She started playing tennis early in school and went on to represent Haryana at national and junior international levels.
Despite a recent shoulder injury, she continued to manage her tennis academy and was undergoing physiotherapy. According to officers, she was known for her positive energy and often posted celebratory reels on Instagram, some even featuring her father, after winning matches and tournaments.
Anger over an Instagram reel
While Deepak’s confession points to wounded pride and humiliation as key reasons, investigators are still looking into other possible triggers. One officer said there had recently been an argument over a video reel Radhika had posted on social media, which her father allegedly disapproved of.
The video, titled Karwaan, features Radhika alongside independent artist INAAM and was released last year under the LLF Records label. According to sources quoted by NDTV, Deepak had objected to the video’s content and had asked Radhika to delete it from her social media platforms. The disagreement reportedly became a point of tension between the two.
Officers said they are also looking into whether Deepak may have had objections to her personal life, including possible friendships or relationships, though nothing has been confirmed yet. The investigation remains ongoing.
What happened on the day of the murder?
It was a regular morning at the Yadav residence. Radhika was in the kitchen preparing food, and other family members were at home as usual. But a disagreement between her and her father over her tennis academy soon escalated into a tragic incident, the police said.
In the middle of the argument, Deepak allegedly pulled out his licensed revolver and opened fire. Police said he was shot multiple times, fatally wounding Radhika in the kitchen.
At the time, only Radhika, her father, and her mother, Manju Yadav, were at home. Her younger brother, Dheeraj, was away at his property dealer’s office.
The gunshots alerted Deepak’s brother, Kuldeep, and nephew, Piyush, who live on the ground floor. They rushed upstairs and found Radhika lying in a pool of blood.
Kuldeep and Piyush immediately took her to the hospital, but doctors declared her dead on arrival. In his statement to police, Kuldeep said he was shocked by the murder and had no prior knowledge of any such intention from Deepak.
Radhika’s mother, Manju, told officers she was unwell and resting in another room when she heard the gunshots. She said she was unaware of what had triggered the shooting and claimed there was no serious conflict between her husband and daughter.
Following Kuldeep’s police complaint, a case has been registered against Deepak under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with relevant sections of the Arms Act. The Gurugram Police spokesman also said that the murder weapon has been seized and sent for forensic and ballistic analysis.
“We are questioning the family members. A probe is underway and the picture will be clear soon,” Inspector Vinod Kumar, SHO of the Sector 56 police station, told The Times of India.
Radhika’s body will be handed over to the family following the autopsy, which is scheduled for Friday.
With input from agencies