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<\/div>\nAfter taxes are deducted, Anoop would probably take home around Rs 15 crore.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Thiruvananthapuram: <\/b><\/p>\n
An auto-rickshaw driver, who was planning to go to Malaysia to work as a chef, on Sunday won the Rs 25 crore Onam bumper lottery in Kerala, just a day after his application for a loan of Rs 3 lakh was approved.<\/p>\n
Even more interesting is that Anoop, hailing from Sreevaraham here, bought the winning ticket — TJ 750605 — on Saturday.<\/p>\n
But it was not his first choice, he told media persons who were present at the agency where he had bought the ticket.<\/p>\n
He did not like the first ticket he chose, so he opted for a different one which turned out to be a winner, he said.<\/p>\n
Regarding the loan and his Malaysia trip, an ecstatic Anoop said, “The bank called today regarding the loan and I said I don’t need it anymore. I will not be going to Malaysia either.” He has been buying lottery tickets for the last 22 years and has won amounts ranging from a few hundreds to a maximum of Rs 5,000 in the past, Anoop said.<\/p>\n
“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,” he said.<\/p>\n
“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,” Anoop said.<\/p>\n
After taxes are deducted, Anoop would probably take home around Rs 15 crore.<\/p>\n
On being asked what he intends to do with the windfall, he said his first priority is to build a house for his family and clear the accumulated debts he owes.<\/p>\n
Besides that, Anoop said he would help out his relatives, do some charity work and start something in the hotel field in Kerala.<\/p>\n
His wife, who was also present along with him at the agency, told reporters that he has been buying tickets for years.<\/p>\n
“We have been receiving a lot of calls ever since everyone got to know about the win,” she further said.<\/p>\n
“I will again buy lottery tickets,” Anoop said as reporters jostled each other to get a few words from him.<\/p>\n
Incidentally, last year’s Onam bumper lottery, for Rs 12 crore, was also won by an auto-rickshaw driver. Jayapalan P R, an auto-rickshaw driver from Maradu near Kochi, won the lottery last year.<\/p>\n
This year’s second prize of Rs 5 crore will go to the owner of the ticket — TG 270912.<\/p>\n
In addition to that, 10 others have won a prize of Rs 1 crore each.<\/p>\n
The winning number was selected by state Finance Minister K N Balagopal in a lucky draw function held earlier in the day at Gorky Bhavan here.<\/p>\n
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n