Three days after the shocking murder of 25-year-old tennis player Radhika Yadav in Gurugram, her best friend and fellow athlete Himaanshika Singh Rajput has accused Radhika’s father, Deepak Yadav, of years of emotional abuse and controlling behaviour that culminated in the killing.
Himaanshika shared two videos on Instagram — one featuring a tribute montage of photos and short clips of Radhika, and another in which she spoke emotionally about their friendship and the circumstances leading to the tennis player's death.
“My best friend Radhika was murdered by her own father. He shot her five times. Four bullets hit her. He'd made her life miserable for years with his controlling, constant criticism. In the end, he listened to so-called friends who were jealous of her success,” Himaanshika captioned one of the clips. The video also has ‘Part 1’ written on it.
She alleged that Radhika’s parents shamed her for her clothing choices and friendships. “They couldn't stand to see her independent. They shamed her for wearing shorts, for talking to boys, for living life on her own terms,” Himaanshika said, adding that Radhika had worked hard to build a successful tennis career and had even started her own academy.
Strict restrictions at home, even during video calls
Her friend said Radhika had grown increasingly isolated in the last few years. “She had to justify every move. Even on video calls, she had to show her parents who she was speaking to. She often pointed the camera towards me to prove it was just us. She couldn't be late even if her tennis academy were only 50 meters away from their residence," she said.
{{/usCountry}}Her friend said Radhika had grown increasingly isolated in the last few years. “She had to justify every move. Even on video calls, she had to show her parents who she was speaking to. She often pointed the camera towards me to prove it was just us. She couldn't be late even if her tennis academy were only 50 meters away from their residence," she said.
{{/usCountry}}Also Read | 'Hang me if...': Radhika Yadav's father makes plea to family amid murder probe
Recalling their early days in the sport, she said, “We started playing together back in 2012 or 2013. We travelled together, played matches together. I never saw her talk to anyone outside her family. She was very reserved, mostly due to restrictions at home.”
“She loved making videos, taking photographs. But she gradually stopped. Her parents didn't like her being independent,” she added.
In response to speculation around a communal motive behind the killing, Himaanshika refuted the claims, calling them baseless. “People are talking about love jihad, but where is the evidence? She didn’t speak to many people. She was isolated,” Himaanshika added.
Also Read | Radhika Yadav murder case: Father in judicial custody, mother gets clean chit
Radhika's father breaks down in interrogation
Police said Deepak broke down after meeting his relatives and asked them to ensure he is “executed for killing” his daughter. During questioning, he told police he was “humiliated” by rumours that he was living off Radhika’s income.
“He has offered limited information. Probably, he is in a state of shock or remorse,” said an investigator, requesting anonymity.
Radhika was shot at her home in Gurugram’s Sector 57 on July 9. According to police, five bullets were fired by her father; three struck her in the back and one in the shoulder. She was rushed to a hospital but succumbed to her injuries. Her last rites were held at her native village in Wazirabad on Friday.
A city court on Saturday remanded Deepak Yadav to 14-day judicial custody. According to police, the 51-year-old accused has been largely unresponsive during interrogation.
Police rule out the mother’s involvement
Radhika’s mother, Manju Yadav, has been cleared of any involvement. “She had no inkling that Deepak was going to kill their daughter,” said Gurugram Police PRO Sandeep Kumar.
“There was initial suspicion that she might have also been involved in the killing, but nothing adverse was found against her. Investigation indicated that Deepak had acted alone in Radhika’s murder,” he added.