CHANDIGARH, Aug 30 (Agencies): A routine lottery purchase during a visit to the city turned into a life-changing windfall for 28-year-old Punjab Police constable Gurpreet Singh, whose ticket won the Rs 7-crore first prize in the Rakhi Bumper Draw.
A resident of Malwal Kadiam village in Ferozepur district, Gurpreet joined the Punjab Police as a constable in 2022 and is currently posted on 112 duty, responding to emergency calls seeking police assistance. He had bought the ticket during a routine visit to the city for some work, without imagining that it would win the bumper prize.
The news triggered celebrations at his residence, with relatives, friends and villagers turning up to congratulate him.
Gurpreet comes from a modest family. His father, Darshan Singh, served as a train guard with the Railways before retiring in 2019. Gurpreet is one of four siblings and has two married sisters and a brother.
For Gurpreet, the news came while he was performing sewa at Gurdwara Vajidpur Sahib on Sunday morning. It was there that he learnt that his ticket number had won the first prize.
“It is nothing short of a dream come true. I had purchased the lottery ticket routinely when I had gone to the city. I never imagined that this ticket would bring me a Rs 7-crore windfall,” Gurpreet said.
The win has also brought unexpected excitement to the lottery outlet that sold the ticket. The owner of N K Agency at Udham Singh Chowk, Trilok Singh, and his team have been celebrating since learning that their ticket had fetched the bumper prize.
“This is the first time that someone in this border town has won such a huge lottery prize,” said Trilok Singh.