State-level tennis player Radhika Yadav, who was shot dead at her Gurugram residence last week, was never restricted or controlled by her family, two of her cousins said on Sunday, rejecting claims made by a woman who identified herself as the athlete’s “best friend”.
Their response came after Himaanshika Singh Rajput, speaking through an Instagram video, alleged that Radhika’s father was “controlling every aspect” of her life and had long tormented the 25-year-old before fatally shooting her.
“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,” Rajput claimed in the video. “In the end, he listened to so-called friends who were jealous of her success.”
Radhika was killed at her family’s double-storey home in the upscale Sushant Lok area of Gurugram on Thursday. Her father, Deepak Yadav, 49, later confessed to the murder and was arrested. Police sources said the conflict stemmed from resentment over the income Radhika earned through her tennis academy, which she managed independently.
Contradicting Rajput’s allegations, Radhika’s cousins insisted that the young athlete had enjoyed the full support of her family throughout her sporting journey.
“Agar bandishe hoti, toh woh ghar se nahi nikal paati, bachho ko training nahi de paati, toh ye sarasar galat aur bebuniyad baatein hain,” one cousin told reporters. (“If there had been restrictions, she would not have been able to leave home or train children. So these things are totally wrong and baseless.”)
Also read: 'Shorts, boys, freedom,' Radhika’s life was policed, says friend
Another cousin dismissed the Instagram video as a “wrong statement”, adding, “There is hardly any country left in the world where she has not gone to play. Visa is required, tickets are also booked, it is not free. The family has also invested money, they have also worked hard. Radhika has also worked hard. Wrong statements are being made in the media that there were restrictions. There is nothing like that in the family.”
Rajput, however, continued to maintain that the family imposed conservative pressures. “Radhika loved posting videos and reels, but eventually, that stopped. Her family would often pressure her, saying, ‘What will people say?’ They had a problem with almost everything and restricted Radhika from doing what she liked. She even had a curfew,” she claimed.
According to police, Deepak Yadav told investigators that acquaintances would mock him for relying financially on his daughter’s success. The growing resentment reportedly came to a head when an argument broke out over the functioning of her tennis academy.
Police also cited a postmortem report conducted by a board of three doctors which confirmed that Radhika was shot four times — three bullets hit her back and one struck her shoulder.
Authorities continue to examine the family’s dynamics, including financial and emotional tensions, to determine what triggered the fatal attack. No formal statement has yet been issued by law enforcement regarding Rajput’s allegations or her proximity to the victim.
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