DUBAI: An Indian farmer, who returned home after failing to find a job in Dubai, on Saturday ended up winning over USD 4 million in raffle, the tickets of which he bought with the money borrowed from his wife.
Vilas Rikkala, who is presently in Hyderabad, was the winner of the Dh15 million (USD 4.08 million) Big Ticket raffle, the Gulf News reported.
Rikkala left the UAE 45 days ago at the end of his failed effort to hunt for a job in Dubai.
On Saturday, he was informed that he has won the huge prize money.
According to the report, Rikkala and his wife do farm jobs in India and their annual earnings from tilling rice fields amount to about Rs 300,000 (USD 4,306).
Rikkala had previously lived in Dubai and worked as a driver.
An inhabitant of Jakranpalli village in Nizamabad district, Rikkala has two daughters. He has been buying raffle tickets in the UAE for two years, including the Dubai Shopping Festival raffle tickets while he worked in the UAE.
After his job efforts failed, he borrowed Rs 20,000 from his wife and gave the money to his friend Ravi, who works in Abu Dhabi. Ravi bought three tickets under Rikkala's name.
"My wife, Padma, is the reason for the celebration," Rikkala was quoted as saying by the report.