CHANDIGARH: Amit Sehra, a humble vegetable vendor from Jaipur, has won the Rs 11 crore top prize in the Punjab State Lottery Diwali Bumper 2025 — a ticket he was able to purchase only by borrowing Rs 500 from a friend.Sehra arrived in Chandigarh on Tuesday to formalise the claim, days after the winning numbers were announced. Sehra, who supports an extended family of 16, said that the purchase was purely impromptu during his recent visit with a friend. “It was the first time I bought a lottery ticket… I did not have a single penny in my pocket, and my friend, Mukesh, paid for the ticket.” As a gesture of gratitude, Sehra pledged Rs 1 lakh to Mukesh, intending to hand over Rs 50,000 each to the two daughters of his friend before making any plans for his own family. The winning ticket was purchased from Ratan Lottery distributor in Bathinda. While the Punjab govt announced the winner on Oct 31, Sehra—who does not use a mobile phone—initially dismissed reports of his good fortune as untrue. “I didn’t know how to check for the lottery draw results,” he said. “I got a call from the lottery agency but did not believe it to be true. They finally turned up at my house and briefed me about the procedure to claim the prize,” he added. According to the rules, the lottery winner has to claim the prize within 25 days. While some lottery ticket buyers leave their names and phone numbers with the seller, others prefer to check the draw results themselves.