Mumbai police shut down 'locker service' of auto driver who went viral for earning ‘ ₹5–8 lakh’: ‘Licence only to...'

An auto driver from Mumbai recently made headlines after a LinkedIn user heaped praises on his "brilliant business" model -- where the social media user claimed that he earns “ ₹5 to ₹8 lakh” a month not by driving the auto, but by just standing outside the US consulate in Mumbai's Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) and safeguarding the belongings of the visitors. The driver has now landed in hot waters as Mumbai Police have summoned him along with 12 others involved.

Last week, VenueMonk co-founder Rahul Rupani had shared the auto driver's story on LinkedIn, which went viral on social media, leaving several users in "disbelief." The man in the post claimed that he was not allowed to carry his bag inside the US consulate during his visa appointment and was unsure of where to keep his belongings. That's when a nearby auto driver extended a helping hand — but with a “fee of ₹1,000”.

“Sir, bag de do. Safe rakhunga, mera roz ka hai,” the driver reportedly said.

In his viral post, he claimed the driver was making ₹5–8 lakh a month through this side hustle. The post drew attention, even earning praise from billionaire Harsh Goenka, who called it “pure Indian jugaad.” However, the driver’s claimed earnings have now been debunked.

Police intervene, halt service

As the post went viral, Mumbai Police summoned the auto driver along with 12 others who were offering similar locker services to US consulate visitors. A senior officer from the BKC police station told Hindustan Times that “parking is strictly prohibited” in the area due to heightened security, and auto drivers are only allowed to “drop passengers off and leave.”

The police also noted that the drivers had no legal permission to run locker services or store items in nearby shops. Authorities flagged 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 Free Press Journal.