The mortal remains of Prateek Yadav, younger stepbrother of Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, were consigned to flames in Lucknow on Thursday afternoon, with family members and thousands of supporters gathering to bid him a final farewell.
The last rites were performed by his father-in-law Arvind Singh Bisht, who lit the funeral pyre and was seen wiping away tears before offering his final tribute. Akhilesh Yadav also paid his respects by placing wood on the pyre and bowing before his brother for the last time.
Prateek Yadav’s wife, BJP leader Aparna Yadav, along with their two daughters, attended the cremation ground and participated in the rituals. SP MP Aditya Yadav also shouldered the bier during the funeral procession.
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak and several senior BJP leaders were present at the cremation ground to pay their respects.
Earlier in the day, the funeral procession witnessed a massive turnout, with thousands of supporters of both the SP and BJP accompanying the cortege and raising slogans of “Prateek Yadav Amar Rahe”.
As per tradition, the body was taken to the Samajwadi Party office, located a short distance from his residence in Lucknow, where it was briefly placed on the ground before proceeding to Baikunth Dham cremation ground, about five kilometres away.
At the cremation ground, Prateek’s children and other family members were also present. A photograph of Prateek with his pets was placed on the hearse, reflecting his known affection for animals.
Prateek Yadav died on Wednesday at the age of 38. According to the postmortem report, the cause of death was cardio-respiratory collapse. Doctors also found six injury marks on his body—three estimated to be around seven days old and three reportedly a day old. Officials have preserved the viscera for further forensic examination.
Medical officials also said he was suffering from pulmonary thromboembolism, a serious condition in which blood clots block arteries in the lungs, disrupting blood circulation and affecting vital organs.
Prateek was the son of Sadhana Gupta and late Mulayam Singh Yadav. Sadhana Gupta was earlier married to Chandraprakash Gupta in 1986, and Prateek was born in 1987. The couple separated in 1990. She later married Mulayam Singh Yadav in 2003, who publicly accepted Prateek as his son.
Prateek studied at the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom. Although he belonged to a prominent political family, he stayed away from active politics and was involved in real estate and fitness-related business. He was also known for his interest in luxury cars and superbikes.
According to 2022 election affidavits, the combined movable and immovable assets of Prateek and Aparna Yadav were valued at around ₹23 crore.
Meanwhile, an NGO , DK Foundation, has petitioned the National Human Rights Commission, seeking an investigation into the circumstances of his death. It alleged that despite the postmortem report attributing death to cardio-respiratory collapse, the presence of injury marks raised questions about the cause of death.
The NGO has demanded the formation of an SIT and preservation of CCTV footage from Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Hospital and the route from his residence to the hospital, calling for an independent forensic investigation outside state control.