Long-awaited trip to Punjab leaves Rajasthan vegetable seller richer by Rs 11 crore as he wins state Diwali Bumper jackpot

Sehra clicked pictures of the ticket and sent them to Sen’s phone. “After that, I forgot about the tickets. At 10 pm on October 31, I got a call from Sen. He started congratulating me, saying I had hit a jackpot. He told me that I had not won a lottery worth Rs 1 or 2 crore, but Rs 11 crore. This was not all. I asked my friend to check the second ticket also. We found out that I had won Rs 1,000 on the second ticket.”

Sehra, whose two children study in Class 4, has also been helping the families of his two brothers who had passed away. Now, their children are also staying with us. We do menial jobs to sustain them.”

He staked his claim to the top prize by visiting the Punjab government’s lottery office in Chandigarh on Tuesday. “I will get Rs 7.60 crore after tax deductions. This is what they told me, but they have to verify that I am the person who won the lottery. Once they are able to do so, I will get the money,” said Sehra, who was on his way back to Rajasthan on Wednesday.

“I will give Rs 1 crore to my friend Sen’s daughters. It does not matter how much I will be left with but I will certainly share that much with him. He was kind enough to lend me money and bring me to Punjab again to claim the prize,” he told The Indian Express over the phone.

‘Could not afford journey to claim prize’

Sehra said it took him a few days to reach the state government lottery office as he could not afford the journey. “I have borrowed Rs 8,000 to come to Punjab. I will pay it back once I get the money.”

Sehra said this is not the first time fortune has favoured him. “My children study in Hans International School in Kotputli, which is a private school of repute. They got admission in this school under the Right to Education (RTE) Act. They will study there for free till middle school. I will spend a part of the money on my children’s education. They will keep studying in this school.”

He also plans to continue as a grocer, “These are my roots. I would like to be humble and remain connected to them. However, I will buy a 500-square-yard plot and build a house as a gift to my wife, who has always insisted that I buy a 100-square-yard plot.”