Can parents actually take their children's lives? This question arose 17 years ago during the 2008 Aarushi Talwar murder case. The nation was shocked when it was revealed that doctor couple Nupur and Rajesh Talwar were accused of murdering their only daughter. Now, 17 years after Aarushi's death, a similar question has resurfaced with another case involving 25-year-old Radhika Yadav, whose father is accused of her murder in Gurugram.
Amidst the serene streets of Gurugram's upscale Sushant Lok locality stands a three-story villa. On the morning of July 10, around 10:30 am, a gunshot rang through the quietude. At the sound, Radhika's uncle, Kuldeep Yadav, who lived on the ground floor, rushed upstairs. He found Radhika lying in a pool of blood on the kitchen floor, her father's licensed pistol beside her. Desperately, they took her to the hospital, but it was too late. Doctors declared Radhika dead.
Gurugram police arrived shortly after, beginning their investigation. Present in the house were Radhika, her father Deepak Yadav, and her mother Manju Yadav. Her brother Dheeraj was away, and her mother bed-ridden in another room. Based on Kuldeep’s statements and evidence from the scene, suspicions pointed directly at Deepak Yadav. In an act that shook the community, he confessed to shooting his daughter with his licensed weapon.
Five gunshots were fired, four striking Radhika. Police recovered five casings from the scene. Deepak cited mental anguish caused by villagers mocking him about living off his daughter’s earnings. But was it really that simple? Both social media speculation and police investigations have brought forward numerous theories.
Theory One: The Music Video
At the heart of widespread social media discussions is a music video Radhika appeared in, said to have fueled villagers' jibes towards Deepak. However, the video was over a year old and contained nothing offensive, so why the ridicule?
Theory Two: Social Media Presence
The claim that Radhika’s Instagram reels displeased Deepak circulates widely, yet her account was private with a modest following of 67, including only four male acquaintances. How, then, did her posts reach the villagers?
Theory Three: Living Off His Daughter
In police interviews, Deepak said people accused him of living off his daughter's earnings. However, Radhika's tennis academy had not become profitable yet. Instead, Deepak invested significantly, spending millions for her advancement.
Once a national tennis star, Radhika's career ended prematurely two years prior due to a critical shoulder injury. She transitioned to coaching, with her father’s support, establishing her tennis academy in Gurugram by May 2024. Her former coach, Ajay Yadav, attested to her immense passion.
Source: aajtak
Radhika yearned for freedom, cherished dreams of traveling abroad, and living life on her own terms. Yet household restrictions often stifled her. In one conversation, she shared with her coach, "I just want some time to live freely." She also implored him to refer students to her academy.
Despite her struggles, Radhika strived to become self-reliant. Her social media presence was limited, and she had not achieved significant earnings. So, did the villagers' remarks truly drive Deepak to such a drastic act? Or is there another unexposed motive behind her murder?
Such intimate matters are confined to the household. Yet Uncle Kuldeep professed confusion over the murder's rationale as well. The most perplexing element of this case remains: a father who invested over 25 million in his daughter’s tennis career would now terminate her life?
Was there a taunt so intolerable that it triggered such an irreversible act? The Gurugram police secured Deepak Yadav in custody for one day before a judge ordered a 14-day judicial remand. As the investigation completes, the true reasons behind Radhika's death will soon be uncovered.
But for now, Radhika Yadav has revived the haunting question that surfaced with Aarushi Talwar: Can parents truly become the murderers of their own children?
