A 25-year-old former national-level tennis player has been shot dead by her father at their luxury home near Delhi after he was allegedly humiliated by villagers for "living off her success".
Radhika Yadav was killed whilst preparing breakfast in the kitchen of their Gurugram duplex on Wednesday morning. Police say her father, Deepak Yadav, 49, fired five bullets from his licensed revolver.
Three bullets struck her in the back, according to investigators. The shooting occurred just after 10:30am at their residence in Sushant Lok Sector 57, one of the wealthiest areas in Gurugram.
The young athlete was rushed to hospital by relatives but was pronounced dead on arrival.
Radhika Yadav was tragically shot by her father after he'd been ridiculed for living off her success
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Police say Mr Yadav later confessed to the murder, telling officers he was depressed and ashamed after neighbours taunted him for depending on his daughter's earnings and lifestyle.
The fatal shooting followed a heated argument between father and daughter. According to investigators, Mr Yadav had been pressuring Radhika to close the tennis academy she had established, but she refused.
Radhika's uncle, Kuldeep, who lives on the ground floor of the building, heard a loud bang and rushed upstairs.
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Radhika Yadav was a rising tennis star in India
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"We carried her down and rushed her to Asia Maringo Hospital in our car. But she was already gone," he told officers.
He discovered his niece lying in a pool of blood on the kitchen floor, with the revolver abandoned in the drawing room.
Radhika had represented Haryana state in national tennis tournaments and was regarded as a rising star. She had recently appeared in a promotional video that received online acclaim.
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Despite her achievements, her father reportedly grew resentful of her increasing fame and independence.
He told police he could no longer bear the mockery from villagers in Wazirabad, who accused him of doing nothing whilst benefiting from his daughter's success.
It has been suggested the humiliation had become intolerable for Mr Yadav, leading him to snap.
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He had repeatedly urged Radhika to stop running her tennis academy, but she stood firm in her refusal.
Radhika's mother, Manju, was present in the house during the shooting but remained in her room. She told police she was unwell and did not witness the incident.
Officers have seized the murder weapon, live cartridges and forensic evidence from the scene. Mr Yadav has been charged under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, including murder and possession of a firearm.
Friends remember Radhika as a kind and determined woman who worked tirelessly to establish herself in tennis despite facing gender bias from a young age.
Mr Yadav remains in police custody and is expected to face trial later this year.