Two days after state-level tennis player Radhika Yadav was shot dead at her Gurgaon home, allegedly by her father, Deepak, the family on Saturday condemned the murder and claimed he was repentant about it.

“Whatever happened was wrong. In fact, when I was with him at the station, he told the police, ‘Write my statement and the FIR in such a way that I get hanged’. He said he has committed kanya vadh (female slaughter),” a mourning Vijay Yadav, 54, Deepak’s elder brother, told The Indian Express.

Deepak was remanded in two weeks’ judicial custody earlier on Saturday.

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A police spokesperson said that they were not summoning anyone else to join the investigation at this stage.

The incident took place at around 10.30 am on Thursday. Radhika, 25, was cooking when Deepak allegedly took his pistol and shot her. Deepak’s brother, Kuldeep, 46, who lives on the ground floor with his family, heard the shots, rushed upstairs, and found Radhika lying in a pool of blood.

Deepak Yadav’s brothers, Vijay (left) and Kulkdeep (right). (Express Photo) Deepak Yadav’s brothers, Vijay (left) and Kulkdeep (right). (Express Photo)

On Saturday, the family dispelled rumours that objection to any love affair was the motive of the crime. “Our family is not illiterate, that it would be against inter-caste marriage. If there was anything as such, it would be sorted at the village level,” Vijay added.

“He had given everything to her career, spent all that was necessary. How this has happened, we do not know,” Deepak’s brother, Rajesh, 52, said, adding that the incident probably occurred due to “momentary rage”.

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“What is written in someone’s fate cannot be changed. The house was peaceful. I jumped two red lights to reach the hospital,” Kuldeep added.

“Fate is fate. He was hurting, sad, repentant and ashamed. He could not have shot her from the front, looking her in the eye,” Vijay said.

As per the FIR lodged on Kuldeep’s complaint, he noticed a .32 bore revolver — Deepak’s licensed weapon — in the drawing room. He and his son, Piyush, then rushed Radhika to a private hospital, where she was declared dead on arrival.

In his statement to the police Thursday evening, he said there was no family issue that would lead his brother to kill his niece. However, according to the police, Deepak allegedly could not stand Radhika’s success — she was gradually climbing up the ranks internationally in the doubles category, was coaching at a private academy, and was individually teaching high-profile clients.

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During questioning, the police said he claimed he was taunted by locals whenever he went to buy milk at his village in Wazirabad.

A police spokesperson told The Indian Express that they have found no evidence so far to suggest that objection to a relationship she had or her social media posts were possible motives for the crime.

The FIR has been lodged under sections of murder and offences under the Arms Act.

The autopsy report states that four bullets hit Radhika. The body was handed back to her family after the post-mortem.

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Born on March 23, 2000, Radhika had competed in various national and international tournaments, achieving a career-best ranking of 75 in Girls Under-18, 53 in Women’s Doubles, and 35 in Women’s Singles as per All India Tennis Association (AITA) records.