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Which 'John Varghese' won Dh12 million in UAE?

Abu Dhabi - There is a John Varghese in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah.

In a sorry tale of mistaken identities, two Indian expats were flooded with congratulatory calls for winning Dh12 million Big Ticket Abu Dhabi draw which actually they hadn't.
It was Dubai-based driver John Varghese who had won the jackpot but his namesakes in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah kept receiving non-stop calls and one of them finally had to post a note on Facebook, requesting friends to stop wishing him.
There are few interesting things common among all the three. They are all from south Indian state of Kerala with the winner and Sharjah man hailing from the same district of Pathanamthitta. All the three have been purchasing Big Ticket for years and had bought one for this draw too.
Abu Dhabi-based Varghese works at a luxury hotel and started getting calls from 10am.
"I buy tickets regularly. I usually watch the draw live but on Tuesday I was busy with paperwork as we are leaving the country for good. It was then some friends and colleagues called but I had my doubts. I called my wife to crosscheck but she didn't respond. I got confused and my anxiety grew. It was then I called the Big Ticket office and was told I was not the lucky winner."
As the word spread, calls poured in. "Mostly it was people seeking help to clear debt. It was an agonising experience as you were in a helpless position. Most people, including my friends, thought I was lying and avoiding them."
He is happy that the real winner is a driver. "He must be in real need. I am told by many people that my turn will be the next to hit the jackpot. I will keep buying even after leaving the UAE," he added.
Meanwhile, Sharjah-based Varghese works at a company in Jebel Ali Free Zone and was told about the draw by his colleagues.
"I landed in Dubai in 1992. I have bought Abu Dhabi Big Ticket a few times and usually buy Dubai Duty Free ticket. Once one of my friends had asked me to pool money to buy the ticket but I didn't and he won," the 60-year-old recollected how his unfortunate spell continues.
"On Tuesday, when I got calls from friends, I was too busy at work to check my ticket. All my friends were excited and jumping in joy but I never lost my head. There was no official call for me to celebrate."
Varghese said he too got numerous distress calls.
"It's now you realise the amount of people in need of money. I win the raffle or not but I do help in my small way. It's only by giving that you gain more." The calls still come as he hails from Pathanamthitta district.
"The real winner is just 15-20km away from my place."
Varghese is looking to wind up his long stay in the UAE. "I may leave next month but will continue to buy tickets online," he added.
Both the men are sure about one thing - their turn will come and until then they will keep on trying.
"More people should share and buy tickets. You never know who gets lucky," Varghese signs off with a piece of advice.
ashwani@khaleejtimes.com