Mohali: After winning a Rs 5 crore lottery, an 88-year-old man in Punjab’s Dera Bassi became a “crorepati” in an instant.

Mahant Dwarka Dass, a resident of Trivedi Camp in Derabassi, was completely transformed when he won the Lohri Makar Sakranti Bumper Lottery.

People flocked to his house to congratulate him and even present him with a wreath after the news was made public.

Dass stated that he frequently purchased lottery tickets because he desired change for himself and his family. He will divide the lottery winnings equally between his two sons, splitting the other half for the “dera.” I’m having a good time. For the past 35 to 40 years, I have purchased lottery tickets. He stated, “I will divide the winning amount among my two sons and my’Dera.”

“My father gave money to my nephew to buy a lottery ticket for him,” his son Narender Kumar Sharma stated. We are content because he won it.

Dwarka Dass will receive approximately Rs 3.5 crore after taxes, according to Lokesh, who operates a lottery business in Zirakpur and sold the ticket to the family.

On January 16, the Punjab State Lohri Makar Sankranti Bumper Lottery 2023 results were made public. The first prize, worth Rs 5 crore, went to Dwarka Dass. Karam Singh, Assistant Lottery Director, stated, “The amount will be given to him after deducting 30% tax after completing the prescribed procedure.”

In the Emirates Draw earlier in December, Indian driver Ajay Ogula won a prize worth Dh15 million (INR 33 crore).

According to the UAE newspaper Khaleej Times, Ogula stated, “I still cannot believe I hit the jackpot” after receiving the prize from the lottery.

Four years ago, Ogula, who is from a village in southern India, moved to the United Arab Emirates in search of better opportunities. According to Khaleej Times, he currently earns Dh 3,200 per month as a driver for a jewelry company. With this sum, I will continue to build my charity trust. Ogula stated, “This will assist many people in getting the necessities they need in my hometown and the villages nearby.”