Gurugram: Three days before 25-year-old tennis player Radhika Yadav was allegedly shot dead by her father, Deepak Yadav, chilling signs of a meticulously planned murder had already begun to surface, claims Himaanshika Singh Rajput, Radhika’s close friend and fellow tennis player.

In a deeply emotional video shared in two parts on social media, Himaanshika made startling allegations, stating that Radhika’s murder was not an impulsive act of rage but a premeditated crime driven by patriarchal control, toxic masculinity, and fragile male ego.

“When I visited her home after her death, I learned that her father was planning her murder for the past 3 days, he had bought a new revolver, made her mother sit in another room, deliberately sent her brother away and even kept her pit bull (pet dog) away from her. He waited for the right moment and shot her from behind,” Himaanshika said. “He fired five bullets. What father does that?”

She was killed for being independent

Himaanshika described Radhika as simple, kind, hardworking, and fiercely independent, but also someone whose freedom was repeatedly suffocated by her conservative household. She claimed that Radhika’s father, influenced by certain people around him, was triggered by his daughter’s success, clothing choices, and independence.

“They told him she was wearing makeup, short dresses, that he was living off her and using her for money. They poisoned his mind,” she added.

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She wasn’t in a relationship

As rumours of a communal or interfaith motive began circulating online, Himaanshika firmly rejected the 'love jihad' angle, saying there was no such relationship in Radhika's life. Instead, she painted a picture of a young woman cut off from the outside world, monitored closely by her parents, and forced to prove her innocence over the most trivial interactions.

“People are talking about love jihad...She was barely allowed to speak to people...Even during video calls, she had to show her parents she was talking to me,” Himaanshika said.

“She lived just 50 metres away from her tennis academy, but had to be home at a set time.”

Himaanshika also revealed that in the final days of her life, Radhika was emotionally broken and had given up trying to fight back.

“In the last 10 days, she was so miserable, she told her parents she would do whatever they said. She had no fight left...I saw her father — he had no remorse on his face. He looked like he had psychological issues.”

Police and family statements

According to police, five bullets were fired, four of which hit Radhika, three in the back and one in the shoulder, as she was allegedly shot from behind at the family’s residence in Gurugram’s Sector 57. She was rushed to the hospital but succumbed to her injuries.

Deepak Yadav was arrested and has reportedly confessed to the crime. His elder brother, Vijay Yadav, told reporters that Deepak was consumed by guilt.

“He said he should be hanged. He realises his mistake. The whole family is in shock,” Vijay said.

She was killed because of the male ego

In her final tribute, Himaanshika wrote, “She was killed not for love or fame, but because fragile male ego couldn't stand her freedom."

Radhika Yadav’s last rites were performed on Friday at her native village in Wazirabad.