New Delhi: Three days after the tragic murder of 25-year-old tennis player Radhika Yadav in Gurugram, her best friend and fellow athlete, Himaanshika Singh Rajput, has come forward with serious allegations against Radhika’s father, Deepak Yadav. According to Himaanshika, Deepak subjected Radhika to years of emotional abuse and controlling behaviour, which she believes ultimately led to her death.

Himaanshika shared two emotional videos on Instagram, one a tribute montage with photos and video clips of Radhika, and another in which she spoke about their long-standing friendship and the circumstances that, she claims, contributed to the killing.

“My best friend Radhika was murdered by her father. He shot her five times. Four bullets hit her. He’d made her life miserable for years with his controlling, constant criticism. In the end, he listened to so-called friends who were jealous of her success,” Himaanshika wrote in the caption of one video, labeled ‘Part 1’.

In her statements, she alleged that Radhika’s parents often criticised and shamed her for how she dressed and the people she associated with. “They couldn’t stand to see her independent. They shamed her for wearing shorts, for talking to boys, for living life on her terms,” Himaanshika said. She added that Radhika had worked tirelessly to build a tennis career and had even established her academy.

Describing Radhika’s growing isolation in recent years, Himaanshika said, “She had to justify every move. Even on video calls, she had to show her parents who she was speaking to. She often pointed the camera towards me to prove it was just us. She couldn’t be late even if her tennis academy were only 50 meters away from their residence.”

Reflecting on their early years in the sport, she shared, “We started playing together back in 2012 or 2013. We travelled together, played matches together. I never saw her talk to anyone outside her family. She was very reserved, mostly due to restrictions at home.”

“She loved making videos, taking photographs. But she gradually stopped. Her parents didn’t like her being independent,” she added.

Responding to speculation about a communal motive behind the murder, Himaanshika dismissed such claims. “People are talking about love jihad, but where is the evidence? She didn’t speak to many people. She was isolated,” she said.

Himaanshika released two videos. In the second video, she wrote, “Radhika didn’t deserve this. She didn’t deserve to die like this, at the hands of someone who should have loved her unconditionally. She was bright, kind, full of dreams, and life. And now, she’s gone.”

Radhika was shot on July 9 at her home in Gurugram’s Sector 57. According to the police, her father fired five bullets, three hitting her back and one striking her shoulder. She was rushed to the hospital but succumbed to her injuries. Her last rites were performed on Friday in her native village, Wazirabad.

On Saturday, a city court remanded 51-year-old Deepak Yadav to 14 days of judicial custody. Police said he has remained largely unresponsive during questioning.