Punjab carpenter wins Rs 1.5 crore lottery day after birth of daughter

For 24-year-old Yudhvir Singh, a carpenter from Bareta town in Punjab's Mansa district, November 2026 brought two important moments within 24 hours. He became a father on November 6, welcoming a baby girl with his wife. The following day, he learnt that he had won the first prize of Rs 1.5 crore in the Punjab State Dear 200 Monthly Lottery. The timing made the win particularly meaningful for the family. According to a report by The Tribune, some relatives had remarked after the baby's birth, "A girl has been born. We wanted a boy." But Yudhvir had a different response to the arrival of his daughter. As reported by AajTak, he named her ‘Barkat,’ meaning prosperity, believing she had brought good fortune into their home. He bought the lottery ticket while taking his pregnant wife for a check-up Photo: Canva The winning ticket was purchased on November 4, two days before his daughter's birth. Yudhvir had accompanied his pregnant wife to a private hospital in Mansa for a medical examination when he stopped at a lottery stall in Budhlada. He had stopped there by chance while getting his mobile SIM card ported. He decided to try his luck in the state lottery, making it the first time he had purchased a lottery ticket. However, his wife was initially unhappy with the decision. The family was already managing medical expenses and had little money to spare. Recalling the incident, Yudhvir told The Tribune, "She said we should save the money for the tests. The private hospital did not even agree to reduce the bill by Rs 5,000. But see how things have changed now." The lottery results were declared on November 7, just a day after the birth of their daughter. A family struggling with a home loan The Rs 1.5-crore prize has come at a time when Yudhvir's family was dealing with financial difficulties. The family had borrowed money to construct their two-room house and was still paying the monthly installments. Yudhvir's father works as a daily-wage labourer and occasionally bought lottery tickets. However, this was Yudhvir's first attempt. He got married to Harman in 2024. His elderly parents, wife and newborn daughter live together in Bareta. For the family, the unexpected prize could ease the financial pressure they had been facing, particularly the burden of repaying the housing loan and meeting household expenses. Wants to use the prize money for his daughter's education Yudhvir said his priority is to secure his daughter's future with the money. He wants to invest in her education so that she can become financially independent and build a career. He also said he would now begin the process of claiming the lottery prize.