Kerala auto-driver wins ₹25 crore Onam bumper lottery
An auto-rickshaw driver in Kerala landed a fortune after winning the ₹25 crore Onam bumper lottery.
Anoop who hails from Sreevaraham, Thiruvananthapuram, had bought the winning ticket, TJ 750605, on Saturday (September 17). His win was a sheer stroke of luck as Anoop had not picked the ticket the first time.
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Anoop said he did not like the first ticket he chose and thus selected a different one which turned out to be the winning one.
The winning number was selected by the state finance minister K N Balagopal in a lucky draw function held at the Gorky Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday (September 18).
“I was not expecting to win and therefore, I was not watching the lottery results on TV. However, when I checked my phone, I saw that I had won. I could not believe it and showed it to my wife. She confirmed that it was the winning number,” Anoop told the media.
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“But I was still tensed, so I called a lady I know who sells lottery tickets and sent her a picture of my ticket. She confirmed that it was the winning number,” said Anoop.
Anoop would get around ₹15 crore after tax deduction.
Family, charity work on cards
Anoop, 32, was planning to go to Malaysia to become a chef. He had thus applied for a loan of ₹3 lakh. Interestingly, he won the ₹25 crore lottery just a day after his loan application got approved.
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Regarding the loan and the Malaysia trip, Anoop said: “The bank called today regarding the loan and I said I do not need it anymore. I will not be going to Malaysia either.”
Anoop said his first priority now is to build a house for his family and clear the debts he owes. He also plans to do some charity work, help out his relatives and start something in the hotel field in Kerala.
Anoop’s wife said he had been buying lottery tickets for years now.
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“I will buy lottery tickets again,” said Anoop who has in the past, won amounts ranging from a few hundreds to a maximum of ₹5,000.
