- Radhika Yadav was shot dead by her father, Deepak Yadav, who confessed to the crime
- Himaanshika Singh Rajput accused Radhika's family of controlling and shaming her lifestyle
- Many men defended Deepak Yadav's actions in social media comments, sparking backlash
A close friend of Radhika Yadav has spotlighted how "men defended men" after she accused the murdered tennis player's family of restricting her freedom and shaming her over her lifestyle.
Radhika's father, Deepak Yadav, had confessed to shooting her dead, allegedly due to taunts that he lived off her income. Himanshika Singh Rajput - also a tennis player - had provided a new twist in the case with claims that her family "controlled" every aspect of her life, in two videos on Instagram.
Sharing a fresh video, Ms Rajput pointed to the comments section of her previous videos where men justified the alleged actions of her father. Some of the comments read: "respect for the father", "good father", "father ne sahi kiya", and some even accused Ms Rajput of lying.
"I posted two videos about Radhika Yadav last week, and I was shocked to see my entire comment section filled with men defending men. This is not okay. Justice must be served. Men need to understand that this world doesn't belong to them alone, women exist, women resist, and women will continue to fight for each other," said Ms Rajput.
Read: Radhika Yadav's Instagram Handle Emerges, Bio In Spanish Raises Question
Ms Rajput vowed not to stay silent and to fight back, calling it unacceptable for parents to restrict freedom on their children's lifestyle.
"It is not acceptable for men or parents to impose "small" restrictions at home, like telling girls what to wear, where to go, or how to behave. These are not small. These are part of the problem. 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?" read her Instagram post.
Ms Rajput had earlier raised serious allegations against Radhika's parents. Despite doing well in her life, she was shamed by her parents for wearing short clothes and talking to boys, she claimed. "They couldn't stand to see her independent. They shamed her for wearing shorts, for talking to boys, for living life on her own terms. They didn't like her being independent," she had claimed.
Read: Deleted Data, New Instagram Profile: Radhika Yadav's Phone Now In Focus
Radhika's family had denied the allegations. They said there was no restriction on her and she freely travelled the world to play tennis. "If there had been restrictions, she would not have been able to leave home, train children. So, these things are totally wrong and baseless," one of her cousins said.
The murdered tennis player had even told her coach, Ajay Yadav, she wanted to leave her home and move abroad, according to the police.
Radhika Yadav, 25, who ran a tennis academy after an injury, was shot dead at her home in Gurugram's Sector 57 on July 10. She was hit by three bullets in the back and one in the shoulder, according to her post-mortem report. Her father has been arrested.
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