Viral / Indian expat who lost job due to Covid-19 pandemic wins ₹7.3 cr in Dubai raffle

Zoom News : Dec 21, 2020, 09:18 PM
Dubai: One never knows how one’s life can change overnight! A few days back, 30-year-old Navaneeth Sajeevan, who was unemployed in the wake of Covid-19, was busy searching for a job and the next day, he suddenly became a millionaire! Yes, thanks to lady luck, Sajeevan, an expatriate who hails from Kerala’s Kasaragod and now lives in Dubai, has won Rs 7.3 crore in the lucky draw of the Dubai Duty Free raffle.

Notably, Navaneeth had been working in a company in Abu Dhabi for the past 4 years but amid the Covid-19 crisis, he was laid off and is currently serving his notice period, the Gulf News reported. When he was heading home after a job interview, he received the call from DDF on Sunday, informing him of the million dollar win. Sajeevan had bought the winning ticket online on November 22.

Quite obviously, he was elated and couldn’t contain his excitement to share the good news with his four colleagues and friends with whom he shared the ticket cost.

“My wife is still working here. I was planning to head home if I didn’t find a good job. I have loans to the tune of 100,000 dirham. This win will go towards that,” he told Gulf News.

Interestingly, Indians make up the highest number of DDF Millennium Millionaire ticket buyers. Sajeevan is now the 171st Indian national to have won $1 million since the start of the Millennium Millionaire promotion in 1999.

Sajeevan told Khaleej Times: “Usually, I always buy the Abu Dhabi Big Ticket. I have been buying those tickets for three years. This time, I saved up for two months and purchased the Dubai Duty Free ticket for the first time.”

He lives in Dubai with his wife and one-year-old son.

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