Bihar youth Sushil Kumar’s Rs. 5 crore winner’s cheque from the TV show Kaun Banega Crorepati made him a millionaire, and also attracted the pitfalls that accompany such a large amount of money.

After the initial euphoria, Sushil’s family in Motihari is now putting up with unsolicited advice from a host of ‘well-wishers’ on how to spend the Rs. 3.5 crore that he is expected to bring home after tax deductions on his return from Mumbai.

“We are getting all kinds of suggestions ever since he won,” Sushil’s younger brother Sudhir said. “People are even telling us to apply for a gun licence for protection.” Sushil’s house at Hanuman Garhi in Motihari is being frequented these days by an endless stream of visitors, ranging from friends and relatives to politicians and bankers.

“Some of them have even cautioned us against the anti-social elements, even though we have had no such worries,” Sudhir said.

He dismissed reports that his family had sought security from the district police after Sushil’s return in view of a possible abduction threat.

“Let me make it very clear that my family expects no abduction threat whatsoever,” he said. “But people are coming forward on their own, advising us to buy arms for our safety,” Sudhir said.

“Representatives from several banks and financial institutions have visited our home ever since the news broke out,” he said. “They have all been telling us how to spend the money.” This Diwali, many of them came with sweets on the pretext of congratulating the family on Sushil’s success. But they also discussed their schemes.

The flurry of advice notwithstanding, Sushil’s family said they had no idea how he wants to invest his money.

Sushil has expressed his intention to build a house for his large family and clear a debt of Rs. 5 lakh. He has also spoken about having his own library and pursuing the civil services examination.

Sushil is likely to return to Motihari on November 10. Earlier, his family had said he would return after the telecast of his KBC episode on November 1 and 2.

The delay gave rise to the speculation that Sushil’s family was keeping the exact date of his return under wraps because of security concerns.