Actor Clarifies Ties to Radhika Yadav After Viral Video; Father in Custody for Her Murder

Actor Inam-ul-Haq, who featured alongside former tennis player Radhika Yadav in a viral music video, has distanced himself from the tragic case involving her murder, saying his association with her was purely professional. Radhika, 25, was allegedly shot dead by her father, Deepak Yadav, at their home in Gurugram’s Sushant Lok on Thursday.

Speaking from Dubai, Inam-ul-Haq told ANI, “I met Radhika for the first time during the Tennis Premier League in Dubai. Later, we worked together on a music video. That was the extent of our interaction.” He added that the video was unpaid and uploaded to YouTube, which is why it has drawn attention in the wake of her death.

The actor also criticized attempts to give the case a communal angle. “I don’t understand why a Hindu-Muslim narrative is being pushed. I have no involvement in this case beyond a one-time video shoot,” he said, adding that Radhika did not maintain a public social media presence.

The Crime: A Daughter Killed Over ‘Honor’ and Ego

According to Gurugram police, Radhika Yadav was shot four times in the back while she was preparing a meal for her mother, Manju Yadav, who was celebrating her birthday at the time. Deepak Yadav, her 51-year-old father, confessed to the crime during questioning.

In his confession, Deepak cited social humiliation and personal frustration as key motives. “People in the village used to say I was living off my daughter’s income. They even questioned her character. I asked her to shut down her tennis academy, but she refused,” he reportedly told investigators. “That humiliation kept building. So, I took my licensed revolver and shot her while she was in the kitchen.”

On Friday, he was remanded to one day of police custody. Investigators are now working to verify the details of his confession and are probing possible additional motives.

Caste, Conservatism, and Control

In Wazirabad, the family’s native village, a neighbor claimed Deepak was also upset about Radhika’s relationship. “She wanted to marry outside their caste, but her father insisted on a caste-based marriage. He was conservative and old-fashioned,” said the neighbor, speaking anonymously to Hindustan Times.

Police have yet to confirm whether the relationship played a role in the crime, though they acknowledged that Deepak’s conservative views and anger over perceived public shaming appear central to the case.

Gurugram Police spokesperson Sandeep Kumar said that no additional motive has emerged so far beyond the alleged community taunts and the father’s objection to his daughter’s independent tennis academy. He also confirmed that investigators are looking into whether Manju Yadav had prior knowledge of the murder plot.

“She hasn’t been ruled out. We’re questioning her role and whether she was aware of her husband’s intentions,” Kumar said.

The brutal killing has sparked outrage and renewed conversations around patriarchy, honor-based violence, and women’s autonomy in India. Radhika, once a promising tennis player and entrepreneur, was attempting to build her own path — one her father could not accept.