Prateek Yadav, the younger son of late Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav, died in Lucknow at the age of 38 after prolonged lung-related health complications. The businessman and fitness entrepreneur stayed away from active politics despite belonging to one of India’s most influential political families.
Prateek was the husband of BJP leader Aparna Yadav and the half-brother of Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav. His death prompted condolences from across the political spectrum. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and senior Samajwadi Party leaders expressed grief over the loss.
Hospital and police sources said Prateek’s condition worsened suddenly at his Lucknow residence early morning. Family members and household staff rushed him to Lucknow Civil Hospital at around 6.15 am. Doctors examined him immediately but found no pulse and fixed, dilated pupils. They declared him dead soon after. Initial observations reportedly showed no visible external injury marks on the body. Sources said household staff accompanied him to the hospital, while Aparna Yadav remained away at the time.
Doctors Conduct Videographed Postmortem at KGMU
After the hospital completed formalities, officials shifted Prateek Yadav’s body to the mortuary at King George’s Medical University. A panel of forensic experts then carried out the postmortem examination under videography surveillance.
Officials said the medical team performed chest X-rays before beginning the autopsy. Doctors began the examination only after the authorities had completed the required legal documentation and the panchnama process.
Police tightened security outside the mortuary premises as political leaders, relatives, and close associates gathered there throughout the day. Aparna Yadav’s brother, Aman Bisht, also reached the postmortem house along with family members.
Sources close to the family said Prateek had battled lung-related complications for a long time. Doctors had also treated him for a blood clot in his lungs. A few weeks ago, doctors admitted him to a private hospital in Lucknow, where Akhilesh Yadav visited him during treatment. Though his health improved briefly, his condition deteriorated this morning.
The Samajwadi Party mourned his death in a statement on X. The party described the loss as deeply saddening and prayed for peace for the departed soul.
The Son Who Chose Distance From Politics
Prateek Yadav was born to Mulayam Singh Yadav and his second wife, Sadhna Gupta. Akhilesh Yadav was born to Mulayam Singh’s first wife, Malati Devi, who suffered severe medical complications during childbirth and later died in 2003. Mulayam Singh married Sadhna Gupta the same year.
Before marrying Mulayam Singh Yadav, Sadhna Gupta had married Chandra Prakash Gupta in 1987 and had a child, Prateek Gupta. The couple later divorced in 1990.
Several Samajwadi Party workers and leaders tried to bring Prateek into politics over the years. In 2012, some party workers demanded that he contest the 2014 Lok Sabha election from Azamgarh. Reports at the time suggested that both Sadhna Gupta and Shivpal Singh Yadav supported the move. However, Prateek never entered electoral politics.
Unlike most members of the Yadav family, he chose business over campaigns. He earned an MBA from the University of Leeds and later built interests in real estate, investments and fitness entrepreneurship. He also ran a Lucknow-based gym called “The Fitness Planet” and became well known in elite fitness circles.
In September 2012, an international bodybuilding platform featured him as the “international transformation of the month”. Prateek credited a motivational conversation with Mulayam Singh Yadav for inspiring his disciplined fitness journey.
Public Attention Beyond Politics
Prateek occasionally attracted public attention despite staying away from electoral life. In 2017, he faced criticism after purchasing a Lamborghini reportedly worth Rs 5 crore. Critics questioned how a member of a family associated with socialist politics could own such an expensive luxury vehicle. Prateek defended the purchase publicly and said he had bought the car legally through loans and declared income.
He also remained active in animal welfare initiatives through an organisation called “Jeev Ashray”, which supported the rescue, feeding and treatment of stray and abandoned dogs.
Prateek Yadav married Aparna Yadav in 2011 after an eight-year relationship. The two reportedly met through a mutual friend and stayed connected through emails before entering a serious relationship. Their wedding drew prominent names from politics, business, and entertainment circles. The couple later became parents to two children.
Earlier this year, however, their marriage came under public scrutiny after Prateek shared emotional social media posts announcing plans for divorce. In those posts, he accused Aparna Yadav of damaging family ties and ignoring his mental health struggles. Despite the public fallout, the couple did not separate and later shared photographs on social media.
In a family defined by political inheritance and electoral influence, Prateek Yadav remained a rare exception. He stayed close to power but never chased it directly. Instead, he built a life around business, fitness, and philanthropy beyond the centre of Uttar Pradesh politics.
