Who was Prateek Yadav? Mulayam Singh Yadav’s son, who chose fitness over politics
Prateek owned a gym in Lucknow called ‘Iron Core Fit’. He was also actively involved in animal welfare and ran an organisation named ‘Jeev Ashray’, which worked for the rescue, treatment, feeding and care of stray dogs.
Prateek Yadav, the younger son of Samajwadi Party founder late Mulayam Singh Yadav, died after suddenly falling ill in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, in the early hours of 13 May. Prateek was 38.
Prateek was the younger son of Samajwadi Party founder and former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, late Mulayam Singh Yadav. He is Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav’s stepbrother.
Stayed away from politics
Quick answers to key questions
The exact cause of Prateek Yadav's death is not yet known, and an autopsy report is awaited. While there were reports of poison being a possibility, doctors stated that only a postmortem would confirm the cause.
Prateek Yadav was the younger son of Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav and stepbrother to Akhilesh Yadav. He was 38 years old at the time of his death and was known as a fitness enthusiast who owned a gym in Lucknow.
Yes, Prateek Yadav had publicly accused his wife, Aparna Yadav, of ruining his family ties in January, stating he would seek a divorce. However, he later announced a reconciliation with her in a social media post.
Prateek Yadav was passionate about fitness and owned a gym called 'Iron Core Fit'. He was also actively involved in animal welfare and ran an organization named ‘Jeev Ashray’ dedicated to the care of stray dogs.
Prateek Yadav was the son of Mulayam Singh Yadav's second wife, Sadhna Gupta. He was the stepbrother of Akhilesh Yadav, the current Samajwadi Party chief.
Prateek was known in Lucknow as a fitness enthusiast. His stepbrother, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, has been the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. Prateek's father Mulayam Singh has also been the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh multiple times apart from being a union minister. Many other family members are into politics. Prateek's wife, Aparna Yadav, is a BJP leader. But Prateek stayed away from politics all his life
"The demise of Shri Pratik Yadav Ji is extremely heartbreaking! May God grant peace to the departed soul. Humble tribute!" Akhilesh Yadav said in a post on X.
Civil Hospital director Dr GC Gupta told PTI that Prateek was brought dead to the facility. "We ran the necessary SOPs, and after confirmation, we informed senior officials and police," Dr Gupta said.
There were reports about poison being the cause of Prateek's death. When asked about this, Dr Gupta said, "Only a postmortem would confirm the exact cause of death. So beforehand, even in case of any suspicion, it won't be right to say anything till a postmortem is done."
Who was Prateek Yadav?
Prateek was born in one of Uttar Pradesh's most influential families. He was the son of Mulayam Singh Yadav's second wife, Sadhna Gupta and her first husband. Sadhna died in 2022 after a prolonged illness.
Prateek studied at Leeds in the United Kingdom and focused on fitness and real estate upon returning. His wife, Aparna Yadav, was reportedly not at home at the time of Prateek's death. Aparna is the daughter of Arvind Singh Bisht, a senior journalist and former state information commissioner at the UP State Information Commission (UPSIC).
Prateek married Aparna in 2011. The grand wedding in Saifai was attended by celebrities, including Amitabh Bachchan. The couple have two daughters and lives at Vikramaditya Marg, a posh neighbourhood in Lucknow.
Prateek owned a gym in Lucknow called ‘Iron Core Fit’ and was known in local business circles for his interest in fitness entrepreneurship. He was also actively involved in animal welfare and ran an organisation named ‘Jeev Ashray’, which worked for the rescue, treatment, feeding and care of stray dogs.
Divorce reports?
On 19 January this year, Prateek Yadav openly accused his wife, Aparna, of ruining his family ties and said he would seek a divorce from her at the earliest.
In a lengthy post on his Instagram account (iamprateekyadav) described Aparna Yadav as a "family destroyer" and accused her of being "self-centred" and "driven by fame and influence."
However, on 28 January, he announced reconciliation with his wife.
(With agency inputs)
About the Author
Gulam Jeelani is Political Desk Editor at LiveMint with over 16 years of experience covering national and international politics. Based in New Delhi, Jeelani delivers impactful political narratives through breaking stories, in-depth interviews, and analytical pieces at LiveMint since February 2024. The expertise in video production fuels his current responsibilities, which include curating content and conducting video interviews for an expanding digital audience.<br><br> Jeelani also travels during elections and key political events and has covered assembly elections in key states apart from national elections. He has previously worked with The Pioneer, Network18, India Today, News9Plus and Hindustan Times.<br><br> Jeelani’s tenure at LiveMint and previous experience at print and digital newsrooms have honed his skills in creating compelling text and video stories, explainers, and analysis that resonate with a diverse viewership.<br><br> Before moving to New Delhi in 2015, Jeelani was based in Uttar Pradesh, where he worked for five years as a reporter. In 2018, Jeelani was one of the two Indian journalists selected for the Alfred Friendly Fellowship in the US. There, he attended training workshops on reporting and data journalism, and he was attached to the Minneapolis Star Tribune in Minnesota, where he worked as a reporter.<br><br> Jeelani is a Bachelor's in Chemistry and holds a Masters Degree in journalism and mass communication from Aligarh Muslim University. Outside work, he enjoys poetry, cricket and movies.
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