Dubai-based taxi driver from Kerala hits a Rs 4-crore jackpot

Kerala’s Renjith Somarajan left the country with his family in 2018 and went to Dubai in search of opportunities to earn better money to support his family. He started working there as a taxi driver for Dubai Taxi and other companies but money crunches never really left his side. But as luck would have it, Somarajan had hit the jackpot, quite literally. 

On Saturday, Somarajan received news that changed his life, a lottery ticket that he purchased a while back had bagged the first prize in the Abu Dhabi Big Ticket Draw, which was a whopping 20 million dirham or approximately 40 crores in Indian currency.

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He received the news when he was returning from Hatta with his wife Sanjivani Perera and their son Niranjan. While he stopped at the traffic signal, the second and third prizes were being announced.

“I moved on and saw a mosque on my way to the vegetable market. I just told the almighty that I missed again. But while I was driving to the vegetable market, something stirred my mind. I returned to the mosque. And believe it or not, my ticket number was called out. My eight-year-old son, who was following the live stream of the event, screamed in joy,” Somarajan told Khaleej Times.

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According to Khaleej Times, Somarajan has been buying lottery tickets for the past three years but only won something its time. He is a stern believer of God and said that he always hoped for a second or third spot.

The jackpot organisers have shared a congratulatory post for Somarajan on his win.  

“Congratulations to Renjith Somarajan, from India, with winning ticket no. 349886. He won AED 20 Million in The Mighty 20 Million series 229,” the caption read.

Ever since the news of Somarajan’s exceptional lottery win has broken out in his circle, the family’s cell phone is flooded with congratulatory messages and wishes.

Somarajan further informed that he will share the prize money with nine of his other friends, who had pooled money to buy the tickets. The others who contributed money, work with the valet parking department of a hotel. He added that all of them decided to buy the ticket in his name on June 29.