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Why Mumbai Police cracked down on viral auto driver who earned ‘ ₹5–8 lakh’ through 'locker service'
Mumbai Police has acted against an autorickshaw driver for operating unofficial bag-keeping services outside US consulate, following a viral LinkedIn post.
The Mumbai Police has taken action against an autorickshaw driver and 12 others operating unofficial bag-keeping services outside the US consulate in Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), following a viral LinkedIn post that brought attention to the unusual business.
The autorickshaw driver, who had become an online sensation for claiming to earn between ₹5 to ₹8 lakh a month by safeguarding belongings of visa applicants for ₹1,000 per bag, was among those summoned by the BKC police.
Instead of ferrying passengers, he offered to hold onto their bags while they attended appointments inside the consulate, where carrying personal belongings is restricted.
In the heart of Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex, where nervous visa applicants line up outside the US consulate every day, the autorickshaw driver found an unusual way to make a living.
Instead of driving passengers around, he offered to look after their bags—charging ₹1,000 a pop — while they went in for their appointments. His story, shared VenueMonk co-founder Rahul Rupani on LinkedIn, quickly went viral, especially after he claimed to earn a staggering ₹5 to ₹8 lakh a month through this unique service.
But what seemed like a clever little hustle has now caught the eye of the police — bringing his booming side business under unwanted scrutiny.
A senior officer from the BKC police station told Hindustan Times that parking is strictly prohibited in the area due to security concerns. Auto drivers are only permitted to drop passengers off and leave.
The police pointed out that the drivers lacked any legal permission to operate locker services or store belongings in nearby shops. Authorities raised concerns that any misplaced items could lead to serious security risks.
“The auto driver has a licence to transport passengers, not to run a locker service. Therefore, we inquired into the matter and he has now stopped providing lockers," police told.
