‘Fired 5 times, 3 hit her back’: Gurgaon cop details how tennis player Radhika was killed; mother mistook gunshots for pressure cooker blast | Gurgaon News
Former tennis player Radhika Yadav was fatally shot by her father, Deepak Yadav, at their residence. Deepak fired multiple rounds, with three hitting Radhika in the back while she was in the kitchen.
NEW DELHI: Radhika Yadav, a 25-year-old former tennis player, was shot dead by her father at their Sector 57 home in Gurgaon on Thursday. According to the police and a PTI report, Deepak Yadav fired at least five rounds, three of which hit her in the back while she was in the kitchen.Radhika’s mother, Manju Yadav, was reportedly at home at the time of the shooting. It was earlier said that she was on the ground floor when she heard a loud sound, which she initially mistook for a pressure cooker blast.She rushed upstairs and found her daughter lying in a pool of blood in the kitchen.The FIR was lodged on the complaint of Radhika’s uncle, Kuldeep Yadav, who lives with his family on the ground floor of the same house. Around 10.30am, he heard what he described as a “loud explosion” and ran upstairs with his son. “We found Radhika lying in a pool of blood. The revolver was in the drawing room. We rushed her to a hospital, but she was declared dead on arrival,” the uncle said in his statement.Police arrested Deepak Yadav (49) shortly after the incident. The murder weapon, a licensed .32 bore revolver registered in his name, was recovered from the house.Officers said Deepak had confessed to the crime. “Radhika used to run a tennis academy, and her father was not happy with it,” said Gurugram Police spokesperson Sandeep Singh. Police are also probing reports that Deepak had grown resentful and insecure over being taunted for living off his daughter’s income.Though the family wasn’t facing apparent financial distress — they had rental income and their younger son works in real estate — Deepak had shut his car parts shop some time ago. Sources said he had become increasingly withdrawn and often brought up how people “mocked him” for depending on Radhika’s earnings.Radhika had represented India on the junior tennis circuit and was ranked 1999 by the International Tennis Federation (ITF). She had transitioned to coaching after an injury curtailed her playing career. Described by friends and neighbours as “polite and hardworking,” Radhika had been running a tennis academy and mentoring young players in the area.“She was disciplined and focused,” said Suman Kapur, CEO of the Haryana Tennis Association, who met Radhika during the 2023 National Games in Goa. “She didn’t win a medal but played with grit. It’s heartbreaking to hear what happened.”Police said they were examining all angles, including the mother’s statement and timeline. The body has been sent for post-mortem, and further investigation is underway.
