New Delhi: Speculation and whispers that swirled around the death of 38-year-old Prateek Yadav, the younger son of Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav, in Lucknow on Wednesday morning were put to rest by evening as the post-mortem examination report came in.
According to details accessed by ThePrint, Yadav died after experiencing “cardiorespiratory collapse due to massive pulmonary thromboembolism”. His condition deteriorated after a large blood clot from his lower body blocked an artery, compromising heart function and resulting in his lungs collapsing. “All injuries mentioned are ante-mortem,” said the report.
Earlier on Wednesday, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Vikrant Veer had addressed the buzz about Prateek being poisoned, saying that a police investigation of such angles would begin only after receiving the post-mortem report.
Prateek Yadav was the son of Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav and his second wife Sadhna Gupta. His wife, 36-year-old Aparna Yadav, is a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader.
On Tuesday night, Yadav was first taken to the Civil Hospital in state capital Lucknow, sometime between 11 pm and midnight. Early on Wednesday, Yadav’s health deteriorated further, said Civil Hospital Director G.P. Gupta. Hours later on Wednesday morning, his driver reached Civil Hospital again to seek medical assistance for his employer.
“The driver came and informed us that Prateek Yadav’s health was deteriorating. We immediately sent our Emergency Medical Officer (EMO) to his residence,” Gupta said, adding that when the EMO checked, “kuch bacha nahi tha unke shareer mein (there was no life in his body)”. He told ThePrint that the EMO failed to find a pulse, and noted that the pupils were dilated and unresponsive.
Prateek Yadav was “declared brought dead” at the hospital, he added. The family wanted to take the body back to their residence, but Gupta told ThePrint that he had instead instructed a post-mortem examination.
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Past complications
Expressing grief at Yadav’s demise, Dr Ruchita Sharma, who had been treating him, told mediapersons earlier on Wednesday that Yadav was aware of his health issues and was extremely cautious. “He had been consulting me for high blood pressure and hypertension. Just a few days ago, he was admitted here after developing a pulmonary embolism,” she said.
Sharma, whose professional opinion proved remarkably prescient, had explained that pulmonary embolism is a disease where a blood clot travels into and lodges within the arteries. “Due to the blockage in his lungs, his heart function was adversely affected. He came here a few days prior, complaining of shortness of breath and related respiratory issues. The condition of pulmonary embolism is, by its very nature, inherently critical and carries significant risk. He was already on blood thinners; he was fully aware of his medical issues and took his blood pressure medication regularly,” Dr Sharma said.
Investigation
DCP Vikrant Veer told ThePrint earlier on Wednesday that the police have begun investigating the matter. “His body was declared brought dead by the hospital authorities. At present we are awaiting the post-mortem reports and have started our investigation,” he said.
The police was analysing surveillance footage from the property and interrogating staff members who were present at the time. “We are interrogating those who last spoke to him, and members of staff who were present. However, we will only seize devices if the post-mortem report indicates foul play,” the officer had said .
A time to grieve
Mourning his half-brother, Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav said that Prateek was very “conscious of his health and physical well-being” since his childhood. “He has always been very conscious of his physical well-being and health, and aspired to move forward in life and make a meaningful contribution. We will pursue whatever legal avenues are available to us,” he said.
The Samajwadi leader added that when he last met his half-brother two months ago, he had given Prateek some business tips. “Even at that time, I had advised him to take care of his health and to focus on expanding his business. Sometimes losses incurred in business can cause people to become deeply distressed,” Akhilesh Yadav said.
Mental distress?
Earlier in July 2025, Yadav, after being mentally distressed owing to a business dispute, had lodged a complaint at the Gautam Palli Police Station in Lucknow. A senior state police officer aware of the matter told ThePrint that the complaint was against one Krishnanand Pandey who allegedly persuaded Prateek Yadav to invest crores of rupees in a real estate venture. “Yadav’s complaint mentioned that he and Krishnanand Pandey had entered into a deal where he was made a promoter in the company. Despite the sales of several land parcels, he alleged that there was no clarity on transactions provided to him, and all agreements were controlled by Pandey,” the officer said.
The officer further said that Yadav had alleged that when he demanded his share, Pandey, his wife Vandana and father Ashok threatened to implicate him in a child abuse case, and tried to extort Rs 4 crore from him. “The complainant also alleged that the Pandeys were threatening to circulate fake audio clips to defame the Yadav family,” said the officer. Following the complaint, a report was registered at the Gautam Palli Police Station, and the matter continues to be under investigation.
(Edited by Nardeep Singh Dahiya)