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Lucknow: Prateek Yadav, the younger son of Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav, has died at the age of 38 after suddenly falling ill in the early hours of Wednesday.

Prateek, a fitness enthusiast who chose to stay under the radar notwithstanding the fact that he belonged to a prominent political family, was declared brought dead at the civil hospital here, sources said.

His stepbrother, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, was among those who expressed their shock at the death of Aparna Bisht Yadav, his wife, who is a BJP member and is currently the vice chairperson of the State Women Commission.

“The demise of Shri Pratik Yadav Ji is extremely heartbreaking! May God grant peace to the departed soul. Humble tribute!” the Samajwadi Party said in a brief post on X.

Prateek was the son of Mulayam Singh Yadav and his second wife, Sadhna Gupta.

“I am at the hospital right now. This is not the time,” Aman Bisht, Prateek’s brother-in-law, told PTI on the phone.

Some youths who were seen with the body at the civil hospital, nearly a kilometre from Prateek’s residence, said they rushed Prateek to the hospital around 5.10 am, and he was officially declared dead around 6 am.

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.

Asked about his reported remark to local media about “suspected poisoning” in the case, 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.”

The doctor told PTI that around 5.30 am, a driver from Prateek’s residence had come to the hospital seeking help. An Emergency Medical Officer visited his residence and brought him to the hospital, he said.

Asked about reports making rounds that Prateek was found unconscious inside the kitchen by EMO, Dr Gupta said, “Various things are being said, but I can’t say anything for sure.”

Prateek’s wife was apparently not at home at the time.

Some supporters of the Yadav family, who started gathering outside Prateek’s Vikramaditya Marg home, said she was out of Uttar Pradesh and was rushing to Lucknow.

Prateek was also known to be an animal lover and supported many animal shelters.

On January 19 this year, Prateek openly accused his wife 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), the late politician’s son described Aparna Yadav as a “family destroyer” and accused her of being “self-centred” and “driven by fame and influence.”

However, on January 28, he announced reconciliation with his wife.

In a video he posted on Instagram, Prateek said, “On January 19, I had a serious dispute with my wife Aparna, following which I made two posts on social media. However, the matter has now been resolved mutually after discussions, and there is no longer any dispute between us.”

He also posted a caption in the video: “Haters, go to hell.” In another post, he posted a video with Aparna.

Later in the day, Prateek’s body was shifted to the King George’s Medical University (KGMU), where a panel of doctors conducted the autopsy.

A sombre-looking SP chief Akhilesh Yadav also reached KGMU, where the postmortem was underway.

After the autopsy, the body would be taken from KGMU to Prateek and Aparna Yadav’s residence at 8/11 Vikramaditya Marg.

Supporters of both the BJP and the Samajwadi Party gathered outside the house as police tightened security in the area and began putting up barricades.

The nameplate outside the residence bore the names ‘Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav’, ‘Smt Sadhna Yadav’, ‘Prateek Yadav’, ‘Aparna Yadav’, and ‘Shine and Blush’.

The exterior walls of the residence were decorated with artistic motifs, including a plant-themed design and yellow footprints, carrying the writing ‘Shri Vishnupad’.

The large black iron gate with golden accents remained shut, with only close relatives and friends allowed inside. Some women, apparently close to the family, were seen entering the residence through a side door.

Dhirendra Yadav, national secretary of the Samajwadi Shikshak Sabha, who stood outside the residence, told PTI he had known Prateek for years.

“I still can’t believe that someone as fit as him has passed away so suddenly,” he said.