It was a shocking incident that has left Gurugram in shock when 25-year-old national level tennis player Radhika Yadav was shot dead by her father when she was preparing breakfast at their home on Thursday morning.
Alleged shooter Deepak Yadav, 49, had fired five bullets at his daughter, three of them hitting her in the back, killing her, police said.
As per researchers, Deepak subsequently admitted that constant jibes by villagers in his hometown of Wazirabad that he was surviving on his daughter's earnings and reputation drove him to murder.
The incident took place at approximately 10:30 am in the house of his family in Gurugram. Radhika was in the kitchen cooking breakfast when she was confronted from behind by her father and shot with his licensed .32 bore revolver.
Her uncle, Kuldeep Yadav, residing on the ground floor of the same building, heard the shots and went upstairs. "At about 10:30 am, I heard a loud bang. When I went up, I could see my niece lying lifeless in the kitchen. The revolver lay on the floor in the drawing room. My son and I took her straight to the hospital, but she was no more," he informed police.
Radhika was taken to Sector 56's Asia Maringo Hospital in a rush, but she was found dead on arrival by doctors.
While being interrogated by the police, Deepak attributed constant social pressure and remarks from villagers as his motivations.
"When I would visit Wazirabad village to purchase milk, villagers would make fun of me, saying that I live on my daughter's income. This bothered me a great deal. Some people even made personal remarks about my daughter. I informed my daughter that she should shut down her tennis academy, but she did not agree," he allegedly explained to the police.
Police authorities said that the economic independence of Radhika, her visibility on social media sites such as Instagram, and her recent appearance in a music video were areas of contention in the family, more so with her father.
Radhika's mother, Manju Yadav, was present at home when the shooting took place but has declined to give a written statement. Police sources reported her as stating she had locked herself in her room with a fever and was not aware of the shooting as it happened.
The police have recovered the revolver used in the crime from the house. Deepak Yadav has been arrested and indicted for murder.
This event has taken the sporting world and people of Gurugram by surprise, with family, friends, and fans grieving for the demise of a talented young sportsman.
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