The Gurugram police have stated that the murder of 25-year-old Radhika Yadav, a former state-level tennis player, by her father, Deepak Yadav, was primarily driven by a dispute over her tennis academy, dismissing earlier speculations linking the crime to her social media activity. Deepak Yadav, 49, has been arrested and confessed to the crime, which occurred at their residence in Sushant Lok-II, Gurugram.

According to police reports, the incident took place around 10:30 am on Thursday when Deepak Yadav shot Radhika in the kitchen of their home. He fired at least five shots, with three bullets hitting her in the back, causing her immediate death. The police have seized the .32 bore licensed revolver used in the murder.

The investigation revealed that Deepak Yadav was unhappy with Radhika running a tennis academy. Gurugram police spokesperson Sandeep Singh stated that the tennis academy was the main point of contention between the father and daughter. Assistant Commissioner of Police Yashwant Yadav added that Deepak wanted Radhika to shut down the academy, but she refused, leading to the fatal shooting.

Deepak Yadav reportedly felt humiliated and faced taunts from relatives in their native village of Wazirabad for "living off his daughter's income". This, according to his confession, hurt his pride and contributed to his depression. The First Information Report (FIR) indicated that Deepak had been "mentally disturbed" for about two weeks before the incident and admitted to using his licensed revolver in a fit of rage.

While the primary motive appears to be the dispute over the tennis academy, police are also exploring other angles, including Deepak's possible objection to Radhika's relationships or her presence on social media. Radhika's involvement in a music video, "Karwaan" by independent artist INAAM, had also reportedly caused friction, with Deepak objecting to her role and asking her to remove it from her social media platforms.

Radhika's uncle, Kuldeep Yadav, filed a police complaint, leading to Deepak's arrest. Kuldeep stated that Radhika's mother, Manju Yadav, was also present on the first floor of the house when the shooting occurred, contradicting initial reports that she was on the ground floor. Police are investigating all possible angles, including Manju Yadav's role and awareness of the events.

Radhika Yadav was a promising tennis player with national and ITF rankings. She had reached a career-high ranking of 113 in the ITF women's doubles standings as of November 4, 2024, and held the fifth spot in Haryana's women's doubles rankings. After an injury prevented her from continuing competitive tennis, she began coaching both male and female players. Her tragic death has sparked grief in the sports community, prompting calls for more attention to mental health and family pressures in Indian sport.