Nagpur: Touted as a symbol of progress and modern infrastructure, the Samruddhi Mahamarg — Maharashtra’s flagship expressway connecting Nagpur to Mumbai — is now drawing fire not for its speed or scale, but for the shocking surge in criminal attacks on commuters. Stone-pelting, looting, and police inaction are turning this supposed “expressway of prosperity” into a dangerous nightmare for travellers.
While ministers in the State Government continue to pat themselves on the back for the project, ground realities tell a starkly different story. Videos and testimonies posted by terrified citizens on social media are painting a chilling picture — that of gangs lying in wait, pelting stones at high-speed vehicles, forcing them to stop, and robbing unsuspecting families at will, especially near the tunnels around Bhokardan, between Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Nagpur.
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One such user posted three alarming videos on social media platform X, alleging that the stretch has become a hotspot for criminal gangs. He claimed that there is no visible police presence, no emergency assistance, and no deterrent to prevent these attacks. His post quickly gained traction, with other users tagging top officials and demanding immediate intervention.
The gravity of the situation escalated further with the earlier incident involving Palghar-based doctor, who was ambushed on May 2 near Buldhana while returning home with his family. A gang of four stopped his car, brutally assaulted him in front of his wife and children, and looted them at knifepoint. His wife pleaded with the attackers to stop hitting her husband, offering everything they had in exchange for mercy.
आमचे @Liberal_India1 यांनी हा व्हिडिओ शेअर केला आहे.
समृद्धी महामार्गाने संभाजीनगरहून नागपूरला जाताना बोगद्याच्या आसपास वाहनांवर दगडफेक करून लुटमार करण्याच्या घटना घडत आहेत. या रस्त्यावर कोणतीही पोलीस यंत्रणा अथवा आपत्कालीन सेवा नसल्याच्या प्रवाशांच्या तक्रारी आहेत.
गृहमंत्री… pic.twitter.com/08pl32URjz
— Adv Rohini Eknathrao Khadse (@Rohini_khadse) June 16, 2025
“We are still haunted by that night,” the doctor later told a local daily, narrating the trauma and fear that continues to grip his family.
Ironically, the Samruddhi Mahamarg — officially the Hindu Hrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg — was envisioned as a world-class expressway promising safety, speed, and convenience. But in reality, large stretches remain underdeveloped, CCTV coverage is patchy, and police patrolling is grossly inadequate — creating a perfect storm for criminal elements to operate with impunity.
These repeated incidents are now triggering a wave of public outrage. Citizens are questioning whether the state government is more interested in optics than actual safety. If this is Maharashtra’s model infrastructure project, they ask, what message does it send about governance and law enforcement in the rest of the state?
The police, reportedly jolted into action following the viral videos, have now registered cases and initiated an investigation. But for many, the damage has already been done — both to public trust and to the dream of a safe, seamless ride through Maharashtra.
Until systemic security lapses are addressed, and visible, round-the-clock policing becomes the norm, the Samruddhi Mahamarg risks becoming less a game-changer, and more a high-speed corridor of fear.
