'Open and shut case': Cops end Gurugram tennis player Radhika Yadav's murder

Police said there’s no direct connection between her social media presence and the motive behind the crime, and that Radhika's father confessed to the murder.

The Gurugram police on Sunday said that they were not seeking statements from friends or those who posted tributes and allegations on social media over the murder of tennis player Radhika Yadav, calling it an “open and shut” case and saying that a charge sheet was being filed based on strong forensic and testimonial evidence.

Radhika Yadav's mother, Manju Yadav, who was present at home during the incident, has not been named in the case.

Meanwhile, Yadav’s reported friend Himaanshika Singh Rajput, on Sunday, said in an Instagram post that the murder was premeditated and triggered by social pressure. “She was not okay for the past 10 days. Her father had planned the murder three days before it happened,” Himaanshika said in her video.

She said that Yadav gave in to her father’s demands, and blamed the father’s friends for allegedly provoking him with comments about her clothing, makeup and growing online popularity.

Twenty-five-year-old Radhika Yadav’s Instagram account was private, with only 69 followers, suggesting she was not a social media influencer by conventional standards. Police said there’s no direct connection between her social media presence and the motive behind the crime. “The accused has confessed to the crime. These video statements are not part of the investigation and won’t be included in the charge sheet,” said Sandeep Kumar, public relations officer, Gurugram Police.

“During questioning, we specifically asked Deepak Yadav to name the people who instigated him against his daughter, but he could not name even a single person. We have questioned more than 20 individuals from Wazirabad village, including those close to the family, and no one admitted to having any such conversation,” he said.

While the motive behind the murder remains somewhat unclear, the police said that the evidence collected—including the recovery of the murder weapon, forensic inputs, and Deepak Yadav’s confession—was sufficient to move ahead with the charge sheet.

Yadav, a state-level tennis player and the founder of a tennis academy in Sector 56, was shot dead at her residence in Sushant Lok Phase-3 on the morning of July 11. According to investigators, the crime was premeditated, as they cited that Deepak allegedly 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. They said Deepak Yadav confessed during interrogation, citing social pressure and personal resentment. “He admitted that taunts from villagers about living off his daughter’s income and questioning her character disturbed him deeply,” an officer said.

WhatsApp chats retrieved from Radhika’s phone reveal she often discussed feeling trapped and wanting to leave home. “Wanna enjoy life, idhar kaafi restrictions hai,” she wrote to her coach in one message. In another, she mentioned plans to explore Dubai or Australia to study and live independently.

Radhika’s mother, Manju Yadav, who was present at home during the incident, has not been named in the case.