Is Thane’s Ghodbunder Road Still Closed? Traffic Returns To Normal After Thousands Left Stranded For 7 Hours Amid Protest Over Pradeep Purnekar’s Murder
· Free Press Journal

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 traffic on #GhodbunderRoad cleared after seven hours of disturbance and agony for thousands of commuters.
Visuals taken at 7.30 am on Wednesday.#Thane #TrafficAlert @fpjindia pic.twitter.com/KvnWKEe2weVisit turconews.click for more information.
— Kiran D Tare (@kirantare) October 28, 2026
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.
Protestors jammed #GhodbunderRoad in #Thane demanding justice to the late Pradeep Purnekar, who was murdered a few days ago.
— Kiran D Tare (@kirantare) October 27, 2026
The protest affected vehicular movement. Thousands of people are stranded at this time.@Dev_Fadnavis @fpjindia @PMOIndia pic.twitter.com/tHZxM0Bfqf
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.
#WATCH | Protesters Block Ghodbunder Road In Manpada Demanding Justice For Pradeep Purnekar; Traffic Jam Hits Thane
— Free Press Journal (@fpjindia) October 27, 2026
Reported by @sayyed_fariyal #Thane #Maharashtra #Naupada #PradeepPurnekar #ThaneNews pic.twitter.com/XGB9kN5irw
@mieknathshinde @Dev_Fadnavis request your intervention as the situation seems tense on Ghodbunder Road in Thane. People are being forced to walk for kilometres to get home at this hour.@CMOMaharashtra @BJP4Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/aVvZeszIBl
— Aniil A Pamnani (@APamnani) October 27, 2026
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.
To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/