Father shot athlete daughter over ‘social shame’; investigators now question mother’s silence and potential complicity
New Delhi: 12 July 2025
The horrific murder of 25-year-old tennis player Radhika Yadav in Gurugram has now taken a darker turn, as police look into the potential for a class crime by the victim’s mother, Manju Yadav, likely with assistance from her father Deepak Yadav.
Law enforcement say Deepak made sure that his son was out buying milk, before he went to the daughter and shot her four times while she was making breakfast at their residence in Sec 57. During interrogation, he confessed that mounting social humiliation in his native village over his daughter’s tennis career drove him to commit the act. Villagers reportedly labeled him a “gira hua baap” (failed father) for supporting Radhika’s ambition, particularly after she refused to close her tennis academy, which he had originally helped fund.
Now, authorities are closely examining the mother’s role, as she was present in the house but claimed to have seen or heard nothing, citing illness and fever. Gurugram Police PRO Sandeep Kumar said, “While she hasn’t made a formal statement, it seems she may have been aware of the plan,” raising serious questions about potential complicity.
A city court has given police a one-day holding charge for Deepak Yadav for further questioning, and forensic teams are searching the crime scene.
This shocking crime has elicited outrage throughout the country, particularly within India’s sporting fraternity, many of whom were condemning the patriarchal violence and unsafe structures that female athletes operate in. Radhika’s tragic death is a stark reminder of the implicit gender-based pressures and stigma women continue to endure to pursue sports-related careers. Amidst ongoing investigations, there is a boiling point of demand for accountability, and for justice to be served that provides protection to women athletes on and off the field.
