Before father shot tennis player, a bitter 15 days, threat of shooting & a mind poisoned

Gurgaon: The investigation into the murder of a 25-year-old former international tennis player, allegedly by her father, has revealed a sudden deterioration in their relationship. The apparent reason was a disagreement over the academy she ran near their house, but the roots clearly run deeper, with the father telling interrogators he was troubled by questions about her daughter's "character" that some of his associates had raised.

Deepak Yadav, who shot Radhika at their Sector 57 house on Thursday morning, killing her on the spot, had allegedly been insisting for two weeks on her closing the tennis academy, even offering to compensate her for the financial losses. She refused.

Three days before the shooting, there was another bust-up during which Deepak threatened to shoot himself or her if she did not do as he said, police officials said. She refused again.

What has become increasingly clear is the chasm – between the father who claims to have spent Rs 2 crore on grooming his daughter as a tennis player, even accompanying her for training and tournaments, and the father so poisoned by "taunts" he claims to have faced because of Radhika's academy, his own ego and insecurities, and suspicions about her that grew in his mind that he would turn the gun on the same daughter.

Vinod Kumar, SHO of Sector 56 police station and investigating officer in the case, told TOI on Friday Deepak (49) appeared to be eccentric and temperamental. "He has psychological issues. He claims to have been subjected to taunts from associates in Wazirabad village near his house for allowing his daughter to run an academy and using her money. He tends to nurse grudges. He would believe anyone and fight with family members. There was no other motive for her murder but his desire to discontinue the academy," Kumar said.

Sources said Deepak visited relatives at Kasan in Manesar 15 days ago. On his return, his spat with Radhika blew up. A source involved in the investigation said Radhika's mother Manju, who is indisposed, had told police Deepak doubted everyone. "She told us that after they got married, he had objected to her interactions with a close male relative, after which she did not speak to him for a long time. However, Deepak supported Radhika's dream of playing tennis wholeheartedly," the source said.

The supportive father that those close to the family and Radhika's tennis circle knew Deepak as was also by her side when Radhika acted in a music video, which was released last year. During the shoot in 2023, both Deepak and Manju were present at the location, police sources said, ruling out any connection between the video and the murder.

Police will, however, seek access to her deleted Instagram account for further leads into the probe. Radhika is believed to have deleted the account around a month ago.

Raj Kumar, a maternal cousin of Deepak, expressed disbelief about the shooting and its apparent trigger – differences over Radhika's academy. "He had supported her career for years and invested a lot in it," said Raj Kumar, who was among relatives who gathered at the house on Friday to meet Radhika's mother and other family members. Dharam Singh, another relative, said, "He loved his daughter a lot. When we met at family gatherings, he always said that his daughter would be a tennis star one day. I am shocked that he killed her after doing so much for her."

The autopsy report revealed Radhika was shot not three but four times by Deepak. According to the report, all the shots were fired from behind, striking her upper torso, specifically the chest area.

"Entry wounds indicated deep penetration, causing extensive internal damage. Bullets passed through her lungs and pierced her heart, leading to rapid and massive internal bleeding. Medical examiners concluded she died within minutes of being shot due to catastrophic and irreversible damage to vital organs," the report said.

In his statement, Deepak claimed to have shot Radhika three times. A source involved in the probe said it indicated the killer's state of mind and likely a rage so intense he was not even sure how many shots he had fired at her.

After the autopsy, Radhika's body was handed over to the family and cremated on Friday evening. Deepak was produced before a local court, which granted police a day's remand. Police are likely to take Deepak to Kasan on Saturday.

According to the FIR, Deepak told police Radhika had won several trophies in her tennis career but had recently suffered a shoulder injury, preventing her from playing and leading her to start the academy. "When I visited Wazirabad village to buy milk, people taunted me for enjoying my daughter's earnings and questioned her character. I asked my daughter to shut her academy, but she refused. I felt hurt and insulted and kept thinking about it for days. In fury, I took out my revolver and shot her three times in the back while she was preparing food, killing her," the FIR, quoting Deepak, says.

It adds that while Deepak's son Dheeraj was at work, Manju was resting in a room at the time of the shooting. Deepak's brother Kuldeep, who lives on the ground floor of House No. G-156, Sushant Lok-II, Sector 57, along with his wife, son and daughter, was the one who filed the police complaint. He reported hearing a bang around 10.30am and found Radhika unconscious in the kitchen and Deepak's revolver in the living room. They rushed her to Asia Maringo Hospital in Sector 56, where doctors declared her dead.

"My brother killed his daughter," the FIR states, quoting Kuldeep.

The forensics team found five bullet shells at the scene and a live cartridge in the gun.