4 min readChandigarhNov 7, 2025 10:22 AM IST
First published on: Nov 6, 2025 at 06:47 PM IST
The 38-year-old vegetable seller from Kotputli in Rajasthan had not imagined in his wildest dreams that his love for Punjab would end up leaving him flush with money. Amit Sehra, who has been selling vegetables on a cart all his life to earn Rs 400-500 per day, hit a jackpot of Rs 11 crore when the winning number of the Punjab State Diwali Bumper 2025 was announced.
The trip that turned things around
Sehra had visited Punjab’s Moga with his friend Mukesh Sen on October 16. “I always wanted to visit Punjab, the land of Gurus and large-hearted people. I had told my friend that I would never be able to visit the place with my meagre resources. He then took me along to meet his uncle. On our way back to Rajasthan the next day, we halted for tea at Bathinda. I came across Rattan Lottery Stall and told my friend that I wanted to purchase a lottery ticket, but I had no money. He was kind enough to lend me Rs 1,000 that day. He asked me to buy two tickets. I did.”
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.”
Amit Sehra and his family after winning the lottery. (Express photo) 
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