Radhika Yadav
Himanshika Singh Rajput, a tennis player and good friend of Radhika Yadav, publicly criticized the outburst of online support for Radhika's father, Deepak Yadav, who admitted to murdering his daughter. The murder, committed on July 10 inside their home in Sector 57, Gurugram, has incited nationwide rage.
In a recent video posted on Instagram, Rajput found it surprising that such comments were posted on her earlier posts, where she complained that Radhika's family had controlled her tightly and shamed her for the way of life she had chosen.
"I released two videos about Radhika Yadav last week, and I was appalled to find my whole comment section being dominated by men defending men. This is not right. Justice needs to be delivered. Men need to realize that this world does not belong only to them, there are women, women protest, and women will fight for one another," Rajput stated.
Rajput also spoke about what most people would call "small" home restrictions, dictating to girls what to wear, whom to speak to, or where to go, describing them as critical to bigger systemic control and violence.
"It is not okay for men or parents to exercise 'small' control at home, such as dictating to girls what they should wear, where they should go, or how they should conduct themselves. These are not small. These are part of the problem."
In her article, she insisted on educating boys about how to respect women, stating, "It's time for men to educate other men. It's time for parents not just mothers to teach their sons how to respect women. Enough of only teaching daughters how to stay safe. When will men finally learn?"
Earlier, Rajput had accused Radhika of being constantly judged by her family for her independence. "They shamed her for wearing shorts, for talking to boys, for living life on her terms. They didn't like her being independent."
Radhika’s family has denied these claims, saying she travelled freely for tennis and faced no restrictions. However, her coach, Ajay Yadav, reportedly told police she had shared her desire to leave home and move abroad.
Radhika, 25, who ran a tennis academy after a career-ending injury, was shot multiple times. Her father has been arrested, and the investigation continues.
