E-Paper
Sign In
'Thought it was a prank': 5 Indians win Dh1 million each in Big Ticket
On the June 3 live draw, a lucky winner of the grand prize of Dh20 million will be announced
- PUBLISHED: Wed 6 May 2026, 2:49 PM
Luck has smiled for five Indian expats who became millionaires in Big Ticket's latest draw, winning Dh1 million each and unlocking a chance to finally make their dreams come true.
For Murali Vazhayli, a supervisor from Kerala, participating in Big Ticket draws has been a habit for the past eight years. Inspired by a friend and senior at work who won the raffle's Dh15 million grand prize last year, Vazhayli kept buying tickets as part of multiple groups.
Recommended For You
"This is my first time winning. This winning ticket was also purchased with a group of 20 people, and my wife takes part separately with her colleagues," said the 50-year-old who resides in Oman.
Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.
Reflecting on his big win he said, "I felt very happy and grateful. As working professionals, this prize means a lot to all of us and our families.” Regarding what the group plans to do with the cash, he said they will split the prize, with many intending to support their families and save a portion.
When Big Ticket called Chaithanya Kumari, a single mother from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, to break the news of her winning Dh1 million, the 44-year-old software engineer missed the call.
“I was in India at the time, so I missed the call and was completely unaware of the win until a friend shared a screenshot of my name from a newspaper article. I couldn’t believe it at first and immediately checked my email to confirm. I was so excited and happy when I saw it,” she recalled.
Unlike many who keep buying tickets for years in hopes of winning someday, Kumari, who has been living in the UAE for the past 14 years, said: "I had only purchased five tickets before, this winning one was my sixth, and I bought it on my own."
While she has not yet made any decisions regarding the prize, she said she plans to discuss the matter with her parents before moving forward.
The third winner in the draw was Rajath Upadhyaya Mysore Satish, who is from Bangalore. The 40-year-old works in accounts and has been living in Dubai for the past seven years, while his family remains back home.
Satish takes part in Big Ticket every month alongside five colleagues. Commenting on their method to choose ticket numbers, he said it is always by chance.
"I wasn't expecting it at all. I thought it was a prank at first and didn't believe it until I checked online myself," he said.
Regarding his plans for the future, he stated that he plans to use his share of the prize to cover some expenses in India, and is already looking ahead to next month's draw.
Rithesh Lobo has been participating in Big Ticket for more than 10 years and finally he bagged Dh1 million. The 49-year-old from Mangalore has been living in Dubai since 2002, and he works as a document controller while his family remains in India.
Unlike Satish, Lobo does not depend on luck to select numbers. He turns to astrology apps to guide his selections for each ticket, a habit he has kept up throughout his years of participating.
"It was a shock. I couldn't believe it after all these years of trying," he said, recalling the moment he knew about the prize, adding that he regularly took part in the raffle as part of a group of 10 people.
The fifth and last winner of Dh1 million was Leo Lawrence, a 36-year-old account manager from Kerala, who has been living in Ajman with his family since 2014.
Remembering the day he learned about the prize, Lawrence said it started in an unusual way. He woke up with a strong gut feeling and told his wife about it, though she brushed it off. The call came through while the family was on their way to the doctor with their daughter, and suddenly, his instinct didn't seem so far-fetched after all.
"Both of us couldn't believe it ... I can't express how happy I was knowing my intuition was right." The prize will go directly towards easing a mortgage on a villa Lawrence recently bought.
Lawrence, who first heard about Big Ticket on the radio and began participating five to six years ago, participates almost every month alongside a group of 10 colleagues who pool together to purchase tickets.
Next grand prize
On the June 3 live draw, a lucky winner will be chosen to bag a grand prize of Dh20 million.
Throughout May, there will be weekly e-draws as well, where four winners will each receive Dh25,000. Beyond cash prizes, participants can also look forward to the Dream Car Series, featuring two luxury vehicles. The Range Rover Velar will be drawn on June 3, followed by the BMW X6 on July 3.
May weekly e‑draws:
Week 1: May 12 (For tickets purchased from May 1 to May11)
Week 2: May 19 (For tickets purchased from May 12 to May 18)
Week 3: May 26 (For tickets purchased from May 19 to May 25)
Week 4: June 1 (For tickets purchased from May 26 to May 31)
Yasmin Hussein is an Assistant Digital Editor who believes that every news story carries a human element. Her motto is 'get it first, but first get it right'.