Several media outlets initially screamed about the involvement of ‘love jihad’ only because the victim had made a music album with a Muslim artist, Inam-ul-Haq, sometime back.
NEW DELHI — A simple murder involving ego and social stigma, where the father of Haryana state-level tennis player Radhika Yadav pumped four bullets into her, was given a communal twist by the mainstream media, euphemistically called Godi media, in the first few hours of the ghastly incident.
Several media outlets initially screamed about the involvement of ‘love jihad’ only because the victim had made a music album with a Muslim artist, Inam-ul-Haq, sometime back. But the truth soon dawned on all and sundry when Radhika’s father, Deepak Yadav, confessed to having killed her.
Godi media refers to a pejorative term used to describe certain sections of the media that are perceived as being supportive of the ruling government, particularly the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The term “Godi” literally translates to “lap” in Hindi, implying that these media outlets are sitting in the lap of the government, suggesting a lack of independence and objectivity in their reporting.
Meanwhile, the actor, who appeared alongside Radhika Yadav in the viral music video, on Friday clarified that “he had no connection to her” beyond their professional interaction. Inam-ul-Haq, according to media reports, said he met Radhika for the first time during the Tennis Premier League in Dubai and later worked with her in a music video. He also claimed that the video is on YouTube, which is why it is being repeatedly highlighted.
The mainstream media, which does not leave any stone unturned to polarise the society and indulges in anti-Muslim and Islamophobic diatribes, had to eat humble pie a couple of hours after the killing of 25-year-old Radhika. It soon emerged that Radhika’s father shot her dead with a licensed revolver and confessed to his brother shortly after the crime that he had lost his mind and killed his daughter.
Vijay Yadav, Radhika Yadav’s uncle, said “There is no bigger punishment than realisation when a person himself is guilty.”
“Mere ko ye kaha ki bhai, maine kanya vadh kar diya hai. Mujhe maar do…vajah nahi batayi… kehta bas bhai dimag kharab ho gaya tha [He said brother, I killed my daughter, kill me… he did not tell any reason… He said that he had lost his mind,” Vijay Yadav said.
Several unconfirmed reports claim Deepak Yadav made multiple claims on the motive of the murder, including “taunts”, a tennis academy, Instagram reel and a music video.
A Gurugram court sent Deepak Yadav to 14 days’ judicial custody on Saturday.
The 25-year-old received four bullets, three in the back and one in the shoulder, according to the postmortem report by a board of three doctors, said police on Friday. She was cremated in the family’s village of Wazirabad on Saturday.
Deepak Yadav allegedly shot Radhika four times in the back while she was cooking breakfast in the kitchen of their three-storey home in Block-G of Sushant Lok-2 around 10.30 am on Thursday, police said.
“He admitted during questioning that he planned the murder,” said Sandeep Kumar, public relations officer of Gurugram police, according to media reports.
“He typically bought milk himself in the mornings, but on Thursday, he asked his son to go instead. Once alone with Radhika, he pumped four bullets into her while she was cooking breakfast,” he added.
This case highlights how the Godi media laps up every opportunity to exacerbate communal tensions by spreading anti-Muslim rhetoric. Its biased coverage has contributed to a growing sense of marginalisation among Muslims, fuelling hate crimes, mosque attacks, and other forms of violence, further polarising the country’s society.
