A 25-year-old national-level tennis player, Radhika Yadav, was shot dead by her father at their home in Gurugram on Thursday morning. Police say the incident took place after months of growing tensions in the family, especially related to Radhika’s financial independence, her social media activity, and a music video she had appeared in.

The accused, Deepak Yadav, 49, was a former bank employee and Radhika’s father. He confessed to killing her during police questioning and has been arrested. According to the police, he shot his daughter three times while she was preparing food in the kitchen at around 10:30 am. Radhika’s uncle, Kuldeep Yadav, who lives on the ground floor of the same house, heard the gunshots and rushed upstairs to find her lying on the floor. He then took her to Asia Maringo Hospital in Sector 56, but doctors declared her dead.

Police say that the relationship between Radhika and her father had become tense over the last few months. Deepak was reportedly upset with Radhika’s growing popularity and her decision to open her own tennis academy in Sector 57, Gurugram. He had asked her several times to shut it down.

Another issue that may have led to the murder was Radhika’s appearance in a music video titled Karwaan. The video, which was released a year ago by independent artist INAAM under the LLF Records label, shows Radhika in several scenes with the singer. Sources close to the investigation told NDTV that Deepak had asked her to delete the video from her social media accounts.

According to police, Deepak felt ashamed due to taunts from people in his village, Wazirabad, who commented that he was living off his daughter’s earnings. In his statement to the police, he said, "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."

Police believe these comments from villagers deeply hurt Deepak and increased his anger toward Radhika. She had recently suffered a shoulder injury during a tennis match and had started coaching young players instead of competing. Despite her injury, she chose not to leave tennis and remained financially independent.

Eyewitness account and family details

Radhika’s uncle, Kuldeep Yadav, filed the First Information Report (FIR) and gave his statement to the police. He said, "Around 10:30 am, I heard a loud sound. When I went upstairs, I saw my niece lying motionless in the kitchen. The revolver was on the floor in the drawing room. My son and I immediately took her to the hospital, but she was already gone."

Deepak used his licensed .32 bore revolver in the crime. He reportedly fired five times, and three bullets hit Radhika. The revolver was found lying in the drawing room after the incident.

Radhika’s mother, Manju Yadav, was also in the house at the time of the shooting. However, she has refused to give a written statement to the police. She told them that she had a fever and had locked herself in her room.

Kuldeep, shocked by the killing, told police, "She was a prominent tennis player who had won many trophies. I am shocked by her death and cannot understand why she was murdered. When I went to the first floor, only my brother Deepak, my sister-in-law Manju Yadav, and Radhika were present..."

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