Tragedy in Gurugram: National Tennis Star Shot Dead by Father amid Family Discord

In a heart-wrenching incident that has stunned the nation, 25-year-old national-level tennis player Radhika Yadav was fatally shot by her father, Deepak Yadav, at their Gurugram residence on Thursday. The tragedy reportedly culminated from a crescendo of familial tensions revolving around her growing financial autonomy, social media presence, and, most recently, her appearance in a music video.

According to police authorities, Deepak, 49, who once worked in a bank, confessed during preliminary interrogation. He revealed that he had been persistently derided in his ancestral village, Wazirabad, for being financially dependent on his daughter. Such ridicule reportedly became a constant source of humiliation, eventually transforming into virulent resentment.

Radhika was reportedly in the kitchen preparing a meal around 10:30 am when her father retrieved his licensed .32 bore revolver and shot her three times in the back. Her uncle, Kuldeep Yadav, who lives on the ground floor of the same house, heard the gunshots and rushed upstairs to discover her motionless on the kitchen floor. The revolver was found discarded in the drawing room nearby.

She was transported to Asia Maringo Hospital in Sector 56, but medical professionals declared her dead.

What potentially intensified the situation was Radhika’s appearance in a song video titled Karwaan, created by independent artist INAAM, and released by LLF Records. In the visuals, Radhika features alongside the artist in multiple frames. According to investigative sources, Deepak had vehemently objected to the video and asked her to remove it from her social media profiles, a request she reportedly rebuffed.

Despite suffering a shoulder injury that paused her athletic journey, Radhika pivoted to mentoring young athletes by founding a tennis academy in Sector 57. The decision, seen as emblematic of her tenacity and zeal, allegedly became another point of contention within her family.

Deepak disclosed in his FIR statement, “People mocked me in Wazirabad, saying I lived off my daughter’s earnings. Some even made derogatory remarks about her character. I asked her to shut down the academy, but she refused.”

On the day of the incident, he acted on his festering animosity. Of the five bullets he fired, three found their mark.

Radhika’s uncle Kuldeep, who filed the First Information Report, recounted, “She had won many accolades. I can't fathom why my brother did this.”

Meanwhile, Radhika’s mother, Manju Yadav, was reportedly inside the home, unwell and secluded in her room during the shooting. She has so far refrained from making a formal statement.