Mystery shrouds Akhilesh Yadav stepbrother Prateek Yadav’s death; old post surfaces

LUCKNOW: Months after accusing his wife Aparna Yadav of ruining his family ties in a social media post and saying he planned to seek a divorce, Prateek Yadav, stepbrother of Akhilesh Yadav, died in Lucknow on Wednesday morning.He was 38.Sources said Prateek Yadav was taken to Civil Hospital around 6am, where doctors declared him brought dead.The exact cause of death has not yet been disclosed. A post-mortem examination is under way and further details are awaited. Also read: Akhilesh Yadav's stepbrother, husband of BJP leader Aparna Yadav, Prateek Yadav dies at 38Prateek was the son of Sadhana Gupta, the second wife of Mulayam Singh Yadav. Despite belonging to one of Uttar Pradesh’s most prominent political families, he largely stayed away from active politics.His death comes days after he publicly accused his wife Aparna Yadav of damaging his relationship with his family and said he planned to seek a divorce, earlier this year.In a lengthy post shared on his verified Instagram account , Prateek Yadav described Aparna as a “family destroyer” and accused her of being self-centred and focused on gaining fame and influence.“I am going to divorce this selfish woman as soon as possible. She ruined my family ties. All she wants is to become famous and influential. Right now, I am in a very bad mental health condition and she doesn't bother because it's only herself she bothers about,” he wrote under a photograph of Aparna Yadav.“I have never seen such a bad soul, and I was unfortunate to get married to her,” he added.A clarificationHowever, days after publicly declaring his intention to divorce his wife, Prateek, shared a new Instagram post carrying a contrasting message: "All is good."The post came just days after his sharp public remarks about his marriage, drawing attention for its sudden change in tone, earlier this year.Aparna Yadav currently serves as vice-chairperson of the Uttar Pradesh State Commission for Women.Prateek and Aparna married in 2011 in a high-profile ceremony held in Saifai village in Etawah district, the ancestral home of the Yadav family.Aparna Yadav contested the 2017 Uttar Pradesh assembly election from Lucknow Cantonment on a Samajwadi Party ticket but lost to Rita Bahuguna Joshi.She later joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2022 and has since campaigned actively for the party.