Thane: Traffic on Thane’s Ghodbunder Road returned to normalcy on Wednesday morning after a nearly seven-hour disruption caused by protests over the murder of Pradeep Purnekar. Visuals recorded around 7.30 am showed vehicles moving along the stretch, with no protesters or police personnel visible at the spot, hours after an overnight blockade left thousands of commuters stranded.
The protest turned aggressive on Tuesday evening as Purnekar’s supporters demanded the arrest of those allegedly involved in his murder. The agitation began outside Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s residence, where Ram Purnekar, son of late Pradeep Purnekar and other supporters gathered to press for immediate action.
Police detained protesters at the site, following which supporters assembled outside Naupada Police Station and demanded that the accused be arrested. With no arrests reported by around 8 pm, the agitation escalated, spilling onto major roads in Thane.
Highway Blockade Brings Traffic To Halt
Angry protesters blocked the highway near Manpada and set tyres on fire on and beneath the bridge, bringing vehicular movement to a halt. The blockade triggered long queues of vehicles on both sides of the road, leaving commuters caught in traffic for hours.
The disruption extended beyond the immediate protest site, affecting routes connecting Ghodbunder Road to Mumbai and Gujarat. Congestion was also reported on connecting roads leading from the Air India area towards Hiranandani Estate, while vehicle queues stretched from Manpada to Kapurbawdi.
Commuters Stranded Amid Late-night Disruption
The blockade caused widespread inconvenience to office-goers returning home and other commuters travelling through Thane’s busy arterial network. With traffic movement severely affected through the night, many motorists were left stranded as the protest continued.
The Purnekar family and supporters had maintained that their agitation would continue until the accused were arrested. By this morning, however, traffic had resumed on Ghodbunder Road, with the early visuals indicating that the road blockade had ended.
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