The Gurugram Police have concluded their investigation into the murder of 25-year-old Radhika Yadav, a state-level tennis player, declaring it an "open and shut" case. The police have stated they will not be seeking statements from friends or those who posted tributes and allegations on social media. A charge sheet is being filed based on strong forensic and testimonial evidence, with Radhika's father, Deepak Yadav, named as the sole accused.
Radhika Yadav was allegedly shot dead by her father, Deepak Yadav, at their residence in Sushant Lok Phase-3 on July 11. Investigators believe the crime was premeditated. According to the police, Deepak Yadav confessed to the crime, citing social pressure and personal resentment as the primary motives. He claimed that he was disturbed by taunts from villagers about living off his daughter's income and questioning her character.
According to investigators, on the morning of the incident, Deepak Yadav sent his son out to buy milk, a task he usually did himself, before allegedly firing four rounds into his daughter's back while she was in the kitchen preparing breakfast for her mother on her birthday. Police recovered the licensed revolver used in the murder, along with four spent cartridges. A postmortem revealed that Radhika sustained four bullet wounds, three in the back and one in the shoulder.
In the wake of Radhika's murder, Himaanshika Singh Rajput, a friend of Radhika, posted a series of videos on social media, alleging that the murder was premeditated and triggered by social pressure. She claimed that Radhika had been struggling with family restrictions and had finally given in to her father's demands. Himaanshika further alleged that Deepak Yadav was influenced by people who were envious of Radhika's success and taunted him for "living off her". She also stated that Radhika's mental state had deteriorated in the days leading up to her death.
Despite these claims, the Gurugram Police have stated that these video statements are not part of the investigation and will not be included in the charge sheet. Sandeep Kumar, public relations officer, Gurugram Police, stated that there is no direct connection between Radhika's social media presence and the motive behind the crime. He added that during questioning, Deepak Yadav could not name anyone who instigated him against his daughter and that more than 20 individuals from Wazirabad village were questioned, but no one admitted to having any such conversations. The police maintain they have sufficient evidence against Deepak Yadav.
Radhika's uncle, Vijay Yadav, denied that Radhika had a tennis academy. He stated that Deepak Yadav had confessed to him about killing his daughter and said he should be hanged.
Conflicting reports have emerged regarding the reasons behind the murder. While police initially stated Radhika ran a tennis academy, which was a point of contention with her father, her uncle denied this. Some reports suggest the father was unhappy with his daughter's desire to be a social media influencer and her presence in a music video. However, police clarified that the music video was uploaded in 2023 and has no connection to the killing. Inspector Vinod Kumar from the Sector 56 police station stated that Deepak Yadav repeatedly said he did not want his daughter to earn through training other players.
The police investigation has concluded that the murder was a result of accumulated resentment and social pressure on Deepak Yadav, leading them to close the case and proceed with filing a charge sheet against him.
