Palghar: The traffic nightmare on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway (NH-48) has stretched into its fifth consecutive day, leaving thousands of commuters stranded and exposing deep-rooted infrastructure and traffic management failures. The massive congestion near Vasai and Palghar has paralyzed movement for hours, trapping school buses, ambulances, and heavy vehicles in seemingly endless queues.

Officials say the gridlock was triggered by ongoing road repair work and the diversion of heavy vehicles, but the chaos has now spiraled out of control. NH-48, a key link between Maharashtra and Gujarat, serves as a vital economic corridor, yet it remains plagued by poor planning and incomplete infrastructure upgrades.

On Tuesday evening, the crisis took a distressing turn when around 12 school buses carrying students from Classes 5 to 10 were stuck in traffic for nearly 12 hours while returning from a picnic near Virar. Many children reportedly went without food or water for hours, prompting distress among parents. Volunteers from a local social organisation distributed biscuits and water to the stranded students.

Former MAMFDC chairman and educationist Javed Shroff praised MNS chief Raj Thackeray for swiftly mobilising party workers to assist nearly 500 stranded students. “Appreciate the yeomen & good initiative of Shri Raj Thackeray ji to have made arrangements for the students stuck in traffic and provided safe passage,” Shroff wrote on X, lauding the humanitarian effort.

The ordeal has forced several schools across Mumbai to rethink travel plans. According to Anil Garg, chairman of the Educational Tour Operators Association, more than 20 schools have postponed upcoming picnics to Vasai until after Diwali. “Even today, two buses from Nashik carrying 64 students from a Kandivli-based school were delayed by two hours,” he said.

For residents of Vasai-Virar, NH-48 remains the only practical route to Mumbai. Alternative options, such as the Ro-Ro ferry service, are overcrowded, with vehicle queues stretching up to 125 cars. With daily commuters, truckers, and students caught in the gridlock, frustration and anger continue to mount, a stark reminder of Mumbai’s worsening infrastructure crisis.

Mumbai: The special court for cases registered under the SC and ST Act has convicted a 58-year-old man who retired from the police department and his wife for intentionally insulting the complainant over his caste 15 years ago.

The complainant was the chairman of the housing society in 2010, while the accused and his wife were members, with both parties differing on the society’s redevelopment. The special court has sentenced Gajendra Kadam, 58, and his wife Shraddha Kadam, 54, to six months’ imprisonment and a fine of Rs 5000. They were granted bail to appeal against the verdict. As per the prosecution’s case, the complainant had claimed that the incident took place on February 14, 2010, during a society meeting.

The case was registered on April 30, 2010. The accused and the complainant were residents of Kranti Sahakari Gruhnirman Society, with 104 members at the time of lodging the case. It was claimed that the society was formed under the World Bank Scheme for the rehabilitation of the slum area and the dwellers. Out of all the houses, 36 rooms of the said society were dilapidated and were declared dangerous, in which Kadam’s house fell. It was claimed that Kadam had brought one developer and started the survey for redevelopment.

The other members objected, and Kadam allegedly threatened them, saying he works in the police department and was posted at Mantralaya. The society refused to cooperate with Kadam. On the day of the incident, Kadam barged into the room during a meeting and began abusing the complainant. The prosecution examined the complainant and another eyewitness. It accepted the prosecution case and held the couple guilty.

Mumbai: A late-night incident at Mumbai’s Ram Mandir railway station has captured the internet’s admiration after a man’s extraordinary courage helped save two lives. On Tuesday, at around 1 am, a woman travelling on a local train went into labour, leading a bystander to act quickly and assist in delivering her baby right on the platform. The man’s act reminds people of Rancho, Aamir Khan’s role in his film, ‘3 Idiots’, where he helped in delivering a baby in a scene, making him ‘real-life Rancho.’

The heartwarming episode was shared by eyewitness Manjeet Dhillon on Instagram, whose post describing the sequence of events has since gone viral. According to Dhillon, the man noticed the woman in severe pain and immediately pulled the train’s emergency chain to stop it. “This man is truly brave — words aren’t enough to describe him. The baby was already halfway out — half inside and half outside. It truly felt like God had sent him there for a reason,” Dhillon wrote.

In a video clip shared online, the man can be heard saying, “Pehli baar kiya hai jeevan mein maine yeh. Itna darr lag raha tha na par video call pe madam ne help kiya.” (“It’s the first time I’ve ever done something like this. I was very scared, but a madam helped me over a video call.”)

According to the eyewitness, a female doctor guided the man through the delivery process via video call after several attempts to contact emergency services were delayed. “We called multiple doctors, but the ambulance was taking time. Finally, a female doctor guided him step by step, and he followed every instruction perfectly,” Dhillon said.

The post also revealed that the woman’s family had earlier approached a nearby hospital for help but were turned away, forcing them to return to the train. “It’s truly shameful that a hospital refused to help a mother in such a situation,” the post added. After the successful delivery, the mother and newborn were safely transported to a hospital with the help of passengers and railway staff.

The man identified himself as Vikas Bendre, in the video. Social media users flooded the comments section with messages of appreciation for the man’s selfless act. “Goosebumps!! Rare to see such brave human beings in today’s times,” one user wrote. Another commented, “Real hero without a uniform.”