Prateek Yadav, late Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav’s stepson, was found dead at his home in Lucknow on Wednesday morning with the director of the hospital that attended to him pointing to suspected poisoning.

“His driver arrived at the hospital around 5.30am and said bhaiya (Prateek) is not well. A doctor accompanied him to their residence and found that he was dead. His body was brought to the hospital and later sent for postmortem after primary formalities,” Dr G.P. Gupta, director of Lucknow’s Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Civil Hospital, told reporters.

Prateek, 38, died due to “cardiorespiratory collapse caused by massive pulmonary thromboembolism”, according to the provisional postmortem report prepared at the King George’s Medical University (KGMU) here. The condition refers to a large blood clot blocking arteries of the lungs, leading to sudden failure of heart and lung functions, KGMU sources said.

The postmortem report also mentioned six antemortem injuries to his chest, under his right arm, right forearm, right elbow joint, over the elbow and left wrist.

In January this year, Prateek, a businessman who owns a chain of gyms, had said on social media that he would apply for divorce from his wife Aparna Bisht soon. A few days later, he had posted a picture with his wife and said everything was fine now.

Mulayam’s son Akhilesh Yadav, Samajwadi president and former chief minister, said: “We will follow the legal course.”