Kerala: Rs 12 crore Onam lottery winner yet to be identified

Even as the results of the Onam bumper lottery ticket from the Kerala government that fetches prize money of Rs. 12 crore was announced on Sunday, the winner was yet to be known.

Over 40 lakh lottery tickets were sold out and the draw was held at Thiruvananthapuram. The winning ticket, bearing number TB 173964, was found to be sold in Kochi. But till Sunday evening the winner was not known.

Either the winner could not have come across the results so far or the winner could be refusing to reveal identity to avoid publicity, said a lottery agent.

Kochi is a place with a considerable floating population and also has a sizable number of migrant workers. The lottery ticket was sold by Tamil Nadu's native Alakaswami who used to work under a major lottery agency in the locality.

The winner will get around Rs. 7.5 crore after taxes and agent commission. The ticket price was 300.

Last year the bumper prize was won by a ticket purchased jointly by six youths who were working as salesmen in a jewelry shop.

Apart from the bumper prize, six tickets won Rs. one crore each as second prize and Rs. 10 lakh each won by 12 tickets as third prize.