Manoj Kumar was in two minds when he decided to borrow Rs 200 from a friend to buy a lottery ticket ahead of the festival of Raksha bandhan. For a daily wager, Rs 200 meant a lot.

But Kumar finally took the gamble and bought the ticket. To his utter surprise, Kumar won the first prize of a whopping Rs 1.5 crore. He rushed to the director lotteries office Punjab in Chandigarh on Wednesday to claim the prize money. After checking, officials approved his claim for Rs 1.5 crore.

Kumar works as a labourer and hails from Mandvi village in Punjab’s Sangrur district. Kumar has become a lottery “crorepati.” All his life he has struggled to make ends meet. He still cannot believe his luck. He says had he not borrowed the money from his friend to buy the lottery ticket, this day would not have come. The Punjab State Rakhi Bumper 2018 was announced some months ago.

Punjab Director, lotteries, TPS Phoolka said his claim will be expeditiously processed and transferred to his account. Manoj has debt to pay and this amount, he says, will help him realize his dreams. He says he having sleepless nights realizing that his bank account will be credited with such a huge amount.