The accused, Deepak Yadav, fired five bullets at his daughter, hitting her thrice. He told police he was humiliated by villagers who mocked him for relying on her income.
GURUGRAM
July 11, 2025: — In a tragic act of domestic violence and wounded male ego, 25-year-old national-level tennis player Radhika Yadav was shot dead by her father, Deepak Yadav, at their home in Gurugram’s Sushant Lok Phase 2 on Thursday morning. Hours later, police said they had identified the motive behind the murder.
According to police officials, Deepak Yadav, 49, fired five bullets at his daughter while she was cooking in the kitchen. Three bullets struck her in the back, fatally wounding her. She was rushed to Asia Maringo Hospital by her uncle and cousin but was declared dead on arrival.
Radhika had recently transitioned from competitive play to coaching after a shoulder injury during a match left her unable to perform at her previous level. A former state-level tennis player herself, she had opened a tennis academy for children — a decision that triggered friction at home.
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Father Resented Daughter’s Independence
Deepak Yadav, who owned a licensed .32 bore revolver used in the murder, told police that villagers in his native Wazirabad taunted him for living off his daughter’s income. Some, he claimed, even questioned her character. These repeated taunts, he said, hurt his “dignity” and left him feeling angry and humiliated.
🚨HORRIFIC
– State level tennis player Radhika Yadav was shot dead by his father Deepak Yadav in Gurugram.
– He was furious because she ran a tennis academy.
– She was shot in the back while cooking through a licensed pistol.
– Fired 5 bullets, 3 hit her
This is Kalyug 💔 pic.twitter.com/GmwNAPQtQS
— BALA (@erbmjha) July 10, 2025
“When I went to Wazirabad to get milk, people mocked me, saying I lived off my daughter’s earnings. I told her to shut the tennis academy, but she refused. That troubled me a lot,” he told police during interrogation. “I was very stressed. That morning, when she was cooking, I took out my revolver and shot her from behind. I killed my daughter.”
The first information report (FIR), filed by Deepak’s brother Kuldeep Yadav, confirms that Deepak had been pressuring Radhika to close the academy. According to the FIR, Deepak grew increasingly furious in recent days as the taunts intensified.
Family in Shock, Mother Refuses Statement
At the time of the shooting — around 10:30 a.m. — only Radhika, her father Deepak, and her mother Manju were present in the house. Manju Yadav declined to give a written statement, claiming she was unwell and had locked herself in a room with a fever.
Kuldeep Yadav, who lives on the ground floor of the same house, rushed upstairs upon hearing the gunshots.
“I heard a loud bang and ran up. I saw my niece lying in the kitchen and the revolver in the drawing room,” he said in the FIR. “My son and I lifted her and rushed her to Asia Maringo Hospital, but the doctors declared her dead.”
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Kuldeep said he was shocked and devastated by the murder. “She was a brilliant tennis player who had won many trophies. I can’t understand why my brother did this.”
Radhika: A Rising Star Silenced
Radhika Yadav had represented her state in several national tournaments and was widely respected in the Indian tennis community. Her transition to coaching was seen by many as a natural extension of her sporting career.
Police have registered a case of murder and seized the revolver used in the shooting. Investigators are recording witness statements and verifying the ownership of the weapon. Officials say a deeper probe is underway to understand the full scope of the family dynamics and circumstances that led to the killing
