Prateek Yadav faced personal as well as professional setbacks, leading to his mental health deterioration. Did it lead to his demise?
Prateek Yadav, the youngest son of the late Samajwadi Party (SP) founder, Mulayam Singh Yadav and step-brother of SP chief, Akhilesh Yadav, died under mysterious circumstances on May 13, 2026. He was just 38 years old when he passed away at Lucknow. The sudden passing of Prateek, a fitness influencer, sparked concern about what might have gone wrong, leading to the unfortunate incident. Recent reports hint that his death was caused by health troubles, primarily liver or lung issues, caused by poisoning.
Prateek's autopsy was ordered at KGMU, and the results revealed that his body was blue and had multiple injury marks. Unverified online chatter suggests that Prateek has taken the drastic step of taking his own life. Amid the various reports and theories regarding his cause of death, his professional and personal troubles, leading to an alleged mental health deterioration, surfaced. Even his half-brother, Akhilesh, made a statement that hinted at it.
Samajwadi Party chief, Akhilesh Yadav expressed deep sorrow over the sudden demise of his step-brother, Prateek Yadav. He was flocked by the media as he swarmed out, when he shared some unknown details regarding Prateek. He hinted at underlying business and financial pressures that his brother faced in the years leading up to his death. Speaking to reporters at the post-mortem facility in Lucknow, Akhilesh also shared details of his final meeting with Prateek. He recounted meeting him about two months ago, where he advised him to focus on his health and expand his business ventures.
According to Akhilesh, Prateek always took care of his health and wanted to live. His demise was "extremely painful" for the Yadav family, which left them heartbroken. Akhilesh also praised his younger brother, calling him a "good person"; however, it was his remark about Prateek's financial issues that caught everyone's attention. He mentioned that financial setbacks can sometimes affect individuals deeply and even shatter them, leading many to wonder whether this was one of the reasons Prateek took an extreme decision. Akhilesh's exact words were:
"I always advised him to take care of his health and continue to work towards progress of his business. Sometimes financial losses or setbacks in business can break a people internally. He is no longer among us. We will follow the legal course available to us."
One of the prime reasons for Prateek facing significant financial losses, leading to his mental health deterioration, was allegedly his business partners. About a year before his death, he alleged that business associates had allegedly cheated and extorted over Rs. 4 crore. He even filed an FIR against them. The police complaint named real estate businessman, Krishnanand Pandey, his wife, Vandana Pandey, and his father, Ashok Kumar Pandey, as the primary accused. According to the Times of India, the former partners befriended Prateek Yadav around 2011–12 and pressured him into a real estate business partnership.
Prateek further alleged that after he confronted his partners about duping him out of over Rs. 4 crore, they refused to return the funds and even tried to intimidate him. According to the FIR filed by the now-deceased Prateek, the accused demanded the extortion money, by blackmailing him. They allegedly sent him highly intimidating emails and WhatsApp messages, threatening to circulate AI-generated audio recordings to tarnish Prateek's public image.
Prateek publicly accused his wife, BJP leader, Aparna Yadav, of being a "family destroyer" and a "selfish woman". In a series of viral social media posts on January 19, 2026, he alleged that she ruined his relationships with his father and brother and was only after gaining fame and influence. He stated that his wife's actions placed him in a "very bad mental health condition" and that she remained indifferent to his distress. Prateek even called her a "bad soul" and expressed his intention to divorce her as soon as possible. However, even months after the allegations, the duo remained married until his death.
We share our heartfelt condolences with Prateek Yadav's family as they navigate this difficult time.
Also Read: Who Is Aparna Yadav? Late Prateek Yadav's Wife, Mulayam Singh Yadav's Daughter-In-Law, BJP Leader