Himaanshika Singh Rajput, also a tennis player, branded Deepak Yadav, father of Radhika Yadav as “controlling” every detail of her life.
Radhika Yadav, 25-year-old tennis player, from Gurugram, was murdered by her father Deepak Yadav. 3 days after the brutal killing, one of Radhika’s friends posted a detailed video on social media and made some explosive revelations.
“My best friend Radhika was killed by her own father. He shot her five times. Four of them hit her. He had made her life hell for years with his possessive, constant nagging. Ultimately, he listened to so-called friends who envied her success,” Himaanshika posted on social media, along with a video.
Radhika Yadav was controlled by her father
According to Himanshika, Radhika’s home environment was tightly controlled, with her parents allegedly shaming her for wearing short clothes.
“She worked extremely hard in her career in tennis and even established her own academy. She was doing so well for herself. But they could not bear to see her independent. They shamed Radhika for wearing shorts, for living her life, for speaking with boys, the way she wanted to. She was taken to the hospital, but she didn’t survive,” Himaanshi added.
Radhika is reportedly shot by Deepak at the house of the family in Gurugram’s Sector 57. Five bullets were allegedly fired by police, four of which hit her, three behind and one in the shoulder. She was taken to a nearby hospital but succumbed to injuries. Her last rites were held at the native village of the family in Wazirabad on Friday.
“We began playing together in 2012 or 2013. We traveled together, played matches together. I never saw her speak with anyone other than her family. She was extremely reserved, mainly because of restrictions within her house. She needed to answer for every step. Even when she had video calls that were about to be dropped, she had to present the person she was speaking with to her parents. I had to come on the camera to satisfy them that it was me alone. She couldn’t be late even though her tennis academy was merely 50 meters away,” Himaanshika replied.
Radhika Yadav’s independence was at stake
“She enjoyed making videos, clicking photos. But she slowly stopped. They did not like her independence.”
While speculations were in the air hinting at a collective motive in the murder, Himaanshi firmly put to rest the talk. “People are talking about love jihad, but where is the proof? She did not interact with a lot of people. She was lonely. Her house was not a freedom zone.”
Police have since assured that they are not exploring any communal or interfaith lines in the case.
Deepak was taken into custody and remanded to police custody before being sent to judicial custody. The weapon and the rest of the ammunition were confiscated from the scene.
In another interview with the media, Deepak’s older brother Vijay Yadav alleged that the accused had admitted to the crime and had apologized. “He said that he should be hanged. He knows he has done something wrong. The entire family is shocked.”
Police also confirmed that a WhatsApp chat between Radhika and her coach Ajay Yadav had come to light, in which she purportedly made a statement about leaving home and maybe settling abroad. “She was contemplating a change of job following a shoulder injury,” an Assistant Commissioner of Police said. “She had talked about turning into a social-media influencer and afterwards began training.”
The same officer also stated, “She had promised her father that she will not do anything that will shame the family. But he was still very unhappy.”
ALSO READ: Radhika Yadav Murder Case: Father Deepak Yadav Wants Himself To Be Hanged
Sofia Babu Chacko is a journalist with over five years of experience covering Indian politics, crime, human rights, gender issues, and stories about marginalized communities. She believes that every voice matters, and journalism has a vital role to play in amplifying those voices. Sofia is committed to creating impact and shedding light on stories that truly matter. Beyond her work in the newsroom, she is also a music enthusiast who enjoys singing.
