Himalaya Harbinger, Uttarakhand Bureau.
An autorickshaw driver- who claimed to earn between ₹5 to ₹8 lakh a month by running a bag storage service outside the US Consulate in Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC)- has been forced to shut down operations following police intervention.
The driver gained viral attention after a LinkedIn post by Lenskart’s product leader Rahul Rupani described how he safely handed over his bag to the man for ₹1,000 after being denied entry into the consulate with it.
With no official locker facility available nearby, the driver had turned the logistical problem into a business opportunity- parking outside the consulate and offering to safeguard bags for visa applicants unable to take belongings inside.
Mumbai Police summoned the auto driver and 12 others running similar operations near the consulate. A senior officer from BKC police station told Hindustan Times that the service violated security protocols, especially as parking is restricted around the high-security diplomatic premises.
Police said none of the drivers had permission to offer locker services or store items in shops nearby. Officials warned that storing unverified personal belongings without authorization could pose significant security risks, as per the report. The locker service has now been halted and police have issued warnings against restarting such operations in the area.
Rahul Rupani estimated the driver served 20–30 customers a day resulted in earnings of ₹20,000 to ₹30,000 daily.
