Thiruvananthapuram native Anoop won the Kerala government’s Onam bumper lottery ticket’s first prize worth Rs 25 crore.
The reward money for the Onam bumper lottery increased this year to Rs 25 crore. A total of 66.5 lakh tickets were sold, setting a new record. The cost of a single ticket was Rs 500.
Anoop, an autorickshaw driver, bought the ticket, bearing number TJ750605, on Saturday evening. He would get Rs 15.75 crore after tax and commission.
Anoop told reporters that he had been purchasing lottery tickets for many years. He said he used his son’s allowance, too, to purchase the tickets. He intended to travel to Malaysia in search of a better job as a chef.
However, he has abandoned the plan and wishes to engage in some food-related business here. Due to financial constraints, he had also applied for a Rs 3 lakh loan.
Incidentally, last year’s Onam bumper lottery with prize money of Rs 12 crore was also won by an autorickshaw driver in Kochi, Jayapalan.
Thiruvananthapuram-based Bhagavathy agency that sold the first prize-winning ticket would get a commission of Rs 2.5 crore. The agency had won four bumper prizes earlier apart from a host of first prizes in weekly tickets.
A ticket sold in the Kottayam district won the second prize of Rs 5 crore. Ten persons won the third prize of Rs 1 crore each.
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