How Mumbai police van is helping US visa seekers

MUMBAI: In a move that will be cheered by US visa applicants, the Bandra-Kurla Complex police have converted a patrol van stationed outside the US consulate into an unofficial ‘cloak room’ where applicants can deposit their phones, laptops and other items banned on the premises for Rs 10.
“Earlier, when stopped at the consulate gate, applicants would dump their phones, headphones, Bluetooth devices, watches, keys and other banned items outside the compound. Some would even pay Rs 400-Rs 1,000 to auto drivers to safekeep their belongings,” a police officer said. A security official at the US Consulate said the service provided by the police was proving very beneficial for visa applicants, especially those coming from other states.
“Though the consulate website lists all the items that are prohibited on the premises, applicants still carry their phones and electronic gadgets along with visa documents. As consulates do not have a facility to store prohibited items, visa applicants either discard them at the gate, request strangers to look after them or come back later with another appointment,” he said.
Based on the feedback given by the patrolling cops at the consulate, police commissioner Sanjay Barve launched the cloak room service in the patrol van on May 21. “The plan was initiated when unattended bags were found near the consulate, resulting in two bomb scares two months ago,” said an officer.
The patrol van has 107 lockers for around 1,000 visa applicants who visit the consulate daily. The cloak room service starts at 6am and is available till 2pm every day. And if delayed, applicants can collect their deposited articles from the BKC police station. To avail the service, an applicant pays Rs 10, registers his phone number and gets a token, along with a payment receipt. The sons of two constables man the cloak room for a stipend. Head constable Uttam Kamble supervises the duo. The fee collected is deposited in Police Welfare Fund.
Jigar Shah, a US visa applicant from Gujarat, said the cloak room is proving to be a ‘huge help’ to those unaware of the items allowed on consulate premises. Another applicant, Baljeet Singh from Punjab, said, “The service by Mumbai police is applause-worthy.”
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References

1. ^{^} Uttam Kamble (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)
2. ^{^} Baljeet Singh (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)

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