Prateek Yadav Dead at 38: Mulayam Singh Yadav's Son Found Unconscious at Home, Declared Brought Dead at Lucknow Hospital
Prateek Yadav, the son of late Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav and stepbrother of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, passed away in the early hours of Wednesday, May 13, 2026. He was 38. The news broke fast and hit hard. A young man, largely out of the political spotlight, was gone before most of Lucknow had woken up.
Who Was Prateek Yadav? The Man Behind the Political Name
He was not a politician. That is the first thing to understand about Prateek Yadav.
While he was the second son of the late patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, he chose a path outside of active politics, unlike his brother Akhilesh. He studied abroad, completing his education at the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom, and returned to build a life in Lucknow around business and fitness.
He was associated with the real estate and fitness sectors in Lucknow and owned a gym. He was known in local business circles for his interest in fitness entrepreneurship. He also ran an NGO for homeless people and was involved in animal welfare activities through an organisation named "Jeev Ashray", which worked for the rescue, treatment, feeding, and care of stray dogs.
There was always this quiet contrast with his family name. The Yadavs of UP politics are loud, contested, contested again. Prateek seemed to want none of that.
What Happened on the Morning of May 13
The Civil Hospital in Lucknow received an emergency call at 4:55 am regarding Prateek Yadav's condition. He was immediately rushed to the facility; however, medical staff tragically declared him "brought dead" upon arrival. Doctors confirmed that his passing likely occurred approximately one hour before he reached the hospital.
Sources indicate that Prateek was found unconscious in the kitchen of his residence, despite having no known history of pre-existing illness.
That detail stops you. The kitchen. Not a hospital bed, not a known illness unfolding over months. Just a man found collapsed at home, in the early hours of an ordinary morning.
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Prateek Yadav, son of Mulayam Singh Yadav, was found unconscious at his home and later declared brought dead at a Lucknow hospital. The 38-year-old’s sudden demise has shocked family members and supporters across Uttar Pradesh.
While the exact cause of death has not yet been officially confirmed, sources said Prateek Yadav had been ill for some time and was dealing with lung-related complications. According to sources, he had a clot in his lungs and was undergoing treatment at Medanta Hospital.
Television reports suggested that the cause of death could be a heart attack or brain haemorrhage, though no official medical confirmation had been issued at the time of reporting.
A post-mortem is currently being conducted. The final cause of death will be established once the medical report is released.
The Family Background: A Story the Yadav Family Never Quite Told Openly
Understanding who Prateek Yadav was requires going back a few decades.
Prateek is the son of Sadhna Gupta, the second wife of Samajwadi Party's founder and senior leader Mulayam Singh Yadav. Sadhna married her first husband, Chandra Prakash Gupta, in 1987 and had a child with him, Prateek Gupta. Only after a year following the birth of Prateek, Sadhna left her husband. In 1990, they got divorced.
Prateek became the stepson of Mulayam Singh Yadav when his mother, Sadhana Gupta, got married to Mulayam on 23 May 2003.
In 2007, in an affidavit filed by Mulayam in the Supreme Court in connection with a CBI probe on disproportionate assets, he had stated Sadhna and Prateek were his family members. That was the moment of formal, public recognition.
It is a complicated history. And Prateek, by all accounts, lived at a careful distance from it.
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Aparna Yadav, the BJP Leader and the Marriage That Made Headlines
Aparna Bisht Yadav is a former Samajwadi Party member turned BJP leader. She completed a Master's degree in International Relations and Politics from Manchester University. Upon returning to India, she married Prateek Yadav in 2011, and the couple has a daughter.
On January 19, 2022, Aparna Yadav joined the Bharatiya Janata Party. That switch alone placed the couple in an unusual position within India's political landscape: the SP patriarch's son and his wife now in the BJP.
Their personal life added another layer. In January 2026, Prateek had garnered media attention following an Instagram post where he mentioned his intention to seek a divorce from Aparna Yadav, citing personal differences and mental health struggles. Later reports suggested that matters between the couple had normalised.
The truth of what was happening in that marriage, only those inside it know.
Prateek Yadav's Life Outside Politics
He was a fitness entrepreneur, an animal welfare advocate, and, by the accounts of those who knew him, someone who genuinely tried to carve out his own identity.
In his childhood, he was obese. However, he transformed his body into a fit one after doing heavy workouts. He ran one of the biggest gyms in Uttar Pradesh in Gomti Nagar, Lucknow, inaugurated by Mulayam Singh Yadav in January 2015.
He also owned a Lamborghini worth more than 5 crore INR and hit the headlines in July 2025 after he lost Rs. 4 crore after investing in a fraud scheme.
A man of contradictions, maybe. Or just a man trying to live, the way most people do, between ambition and loss and the weight of a famous name.
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Reactions and What Comes Next
The news of Prateek's death has sent shock through political and social circles in Uttar Pradesh. Supporters and relatives have been gathering in Lucknow following the incident.
He leaves behind his daughter, Prathama, and a family already no stranger to loss. His mother, Sadhana Gupta, died on 9 July 2022 at a private hospital in Gurugram after a prolonged illness. His stepfather, Mulayam Singh Yadav, died in October 2022. Now Prateek himself, at 38.
The postmortem report will answer the medical questions. What it will not answer is why a man this young, with this much life presumably still ahead, was found alone and unconscious in his kitchen before sunrise.
That question settles in the air and stays.
Disclaimer: This article is based on information available across the web. Parchar Manch does not take responsibility for its complete accuracy, as the content could not be fully verified.
FAQs
Who was Prateek Yadav?
Prateek Yadav was the son of late SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav and stepbrother of Akhilesh Yadav. He was a businessman and fitness entrepreneur based in Lucknow, married to BJP leader Aparna Yadav.
How did Prateek Yadav die?
He was found unconscious at his Lucknow residence in the early hours of May 13, 2026, and was declared dead at Civil Hospital. Sources suggest he had a lung clot and was being treated at Medanta Hospital, but the official cause of death is pending the postmortem report.
Was Prateek Yadav involved in politics?
No. He consistently stayed away from active politics and focused on business, fitness, and animal welfare.
What was Prateek Yadav's relationship with Aparna Yadav?
They were married in December 2011 and have a daughter together. In January 2026, Prateek had publicly spoken about seeking a divorce, citing personal differences, though later reports indicated the situation had settled.
How is Prateek Yadav related to Akhilesh Yadav?
Prateek was the stepbrother of Akhilesh Yadav. He was the biological son of Sadhana Gupta, Mulayam Singh Yadav's second wife.
What businesses did Prateek Yadav run?
He was involved in real estate, fitness (running a gym in Lucknow), and animal welfare through his NGO "Jeev Ashray."