Hyderabad: He was just one of the many men who migrate to Gulf countries in search of work. Unable to get suitable work in Dubai, he returned home 45 days ago.
But before he left Dubai, he bought a lottery ticket in the Dubai shopping festival. Last Saturday, Mr Vilas Rikkala of Jakranpally mandal in Nizam-abad district of Telangana found himself a crorepati several times over!
Before returning to India, he told his wife Padma about his urge to buy a lottery ticket she sent him Rs 20,000.
He bought two lottery tickets in Dubai and the organisers offered him a third lottery ticket free. It was this third ticket that was a winner, netting him a cool AED 15 million.
Vilas Rikkala is planning to visit Dubai with his family of wife Padma, daughters Himani, an Intermediate student, and Manasvini, who is in class VIII, and few close friends, to receive the prize money. Speaking to this newspaper, Vilas said that his financial problems will be sorted out with the lottery money.
“I will concentrate on improving my agriculture operations in my native Jakranpally village,” he said. He added that winning the lottery was possible "because of my wife Padma who gave Rs 20,000 for me to purchase the tickets when I had no money to do so.”
