A Mumbai autorickshaw driver who became famous online for offering a locker service to people visiting the US Consulate in Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) is now in trouble with the police. He had claimed to earn ₹5 to ₹8 lakh a month by safeguarding visitors’ belongings instead of driving passengers.
How the Story Spread
Rahul Rupani, co-founder of VenueMonk, shared the incident on LinkedIn. He explained that during his US visa appointment, he wasn’t allowed to take his bag inside the consulate. An auto driver nearby offered to safely hold his bag for ₹1,000, saying, “Sir, bag de do. Safe rakhunga, mera roz ka hai.”
Rupani later praised the driver’s idea as a smart business move. The post went viral and even received praise from billionaire Harsh Goenka, who called it a great example of “Indian jugaad.” However, the income figures shared in the post were later questioned and found to be exaggerated.
Police Take Action
After the post gained traction, Mumbai police took note of the situation. The BKC police summoned the auto driver and 12 others who were running similar unofficial locker services near the consulate. According to officials, these activities are not legally permitted. Parking is banned in the area due to high security, and auto drivers are only allowed to drop off passengers.
Legal and Security Concerns
Police clarified that the driver only has a licence to transport passengers, not to store people’s belongings or run a locker service. They also raised concerns about potential security risks if any item went missing or was mishandled.
Following the inquiry, the driver has now stopped offering the locker service.
