Akhilesh Yadav's step brother alleges cheating by real estate businessman

LUCKNOW: Prateek Yadav, step brother of former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and husband of BJP leader Aparna Yadav, has alleged that he was duped to the tune of over Rs 4 crore by a real estate businessman. Prateek, in a complaint lodged at Gautampalli police station in Lucknow, on Sunday, alleged that he was cheated by one Krishnanand Pandey, a resident of Chinhat, who deals in real estate. Prateek named Krishnanand Pandey, his wife Vandana Pandey and father Ashok Pandey in the complaint following which an FIR has been lodged against the three under the relevant sections of BNS pertaining to extortion, cheating and IT Act. Krishnanand had formed a real estate company and allegedly cheated Prateek on the pretext of investing his money in the firm. As per theComplaint, when Prateek asked for his money, Krishnanand threatened him with getting him implicated in a fake POSCO case and making a fake audio viral. Notably, Patek Yadavs wife Aparna Yadav is a BJP leader and is currently holding the position of the Vice- President of state womens commission. Prateek allegedly mentioned in his complaint that Krishnanand Pandey had also demanded Rs 5 crore more from him. The sources claimed that Prateek, the son of SP patriarch late Mulayam Singh Yadavs second wife Sadhna Gupta, told the cops that he came in contact with Krishnanand Pandey in 2012 when the latter had come up with a business proposal of buying prime land along Shaheed Path. Krishnanand and his associate US Bisht then formed a company in 2015 in which both of them were directors. Prateek said he joined the company as a promoter and invested over Rs 4 crore on the promise of lucrative returns. But Krishnanand never returned the money and instead threatened him, he said in his complaint submitted to local police. Moreover, Prateek claimed that Krishnanand Pandey took money from him several times as loan on the pretext of his poor financial condition. In 2022, Prateek was gripped by Covid and he lost his mother in September 2022 and father Mualyam Singh Yadav in October 2022 followed by his maternal uncle, the same year. Prateek could not bear back-to-back shocks and had to take medical advice and treatment at Medanta hospital to get out of the mental condition he was facing. Meanwhile, during his treatment at Medanta, Krishnanand and his wife Vandana took money from Prateek on one pretext or the other. After the completion of his treatment, Prateek realised and acknowledged the reality of Krishnanand Pandey whom he asked to return his money but to no avail instead Pandey alleged threatened to get him implicated in POCSO Act. As per Inspector Pankaj Kumar, in-charge of Gautampalli police station, an FIR was lodged against those named in the complaint and a probe would soon be launched into the case.