A court in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh, has sentenced Samajwadi Party MLA Ramakant Yadav to one year of rigorous imprisonment in connection with a 2006 road blockade case. The MP-MLA court, presided over by Judge Anupam Kumar Tripathi, also imposed a fine of ₹3,800 on Yadav.

The case dates back to April 6, 2006, when Yadav, along with 200-250 supporters, allegedly blocked the Didarganj-Kheta Sarai road. According to the prosecution, Yadav and his supporters went to the Didarganj police station, pressuring the Station House Officer (SHO) at the time to release one of Yadav's supporters. When the officer refused, Yadav and his group blocked the road, disrupting government work. Following the incident, police filed a chargesheet against Yadav and two others. During the trial, six prosecution witnesses were examined. The two co-accused in the case passed away while the case was pending. After hearing arguments from both sides, the court found Yadav guilty and sentenced him to imprisonment and a fine.

Ramakant Yadav, born on July 1, 1957, is a prominent political figure in Uttar Pradesh. Currently, he is a Member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly representing Phoolpur Pawai. He has also served as a Member of Lok Sabha representing Azamgarh multiple times. He is often referred to as "Sher-e-Purvanchal" (Lion of Purvanchal) and RKY, and is considered a "Bahubali" (strongman leader) in Uttar Pradesh.

Yadav's political career has seen him switch affiliations across multiple parties. He has been associated with the Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, and Bharatiya Janata Party. In the 2022 assembly elections, he won the Phoolpur Pawai seat. However, he has been in jail since July 2022 in connection with a separate case involving spurious liquor. Furthermore, police have listed him and his accomplices as members of the IR 42 gang.

This is not the first time Yadav has been convicted in a criminal case. In May 2025, he was sentenced to three months imprisonment in a 19-year-old case of blocking a road and disrupting government work. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 1,300 on each convict. In May 2023, an MP-MLA court in Jaunpur sentenced him to four months in jail in connection with a 2019 case of assault.