In a surprising turn of luck, a middle aged man from the district has become a ‘crorepati’ in a matter of just a few hours when he bought a lottery ticket on Sunday morning.
The ticket, bought by Sadanandan Oliparambil, a native of Kudayampadi near here, has won the first prize of ₹12 crore in the Kerala government Christmas-New Year bumper. Mr. Sadanandan had been buying lottery tickets regularly over the past several years and this was for the first time that he hit the jackpot.
According to Mr. Sadanandan, he decided to buy the lottery ticket from Selvan, a local lottery vendor, to make change for a ₹500 currency note with him. “I was on my way to a meat stall nearby and was looking to get change for the currency note. As the results were announced by the afternoon, I could not believe my luck,” he said.
Living in a small house near Kudayampadi, life had been a struggle for Mr. Sadanandan, a painting worker, especially after the pandemic. “I want to build a better house of my own and take care of the future of my children. A decision on spending the amount will be taken in consultations with my two sons, Saneesh and Sanjay,” he told media persons.
The bundle containing the prize-winning lottery had been sold to one Purushothaman of Ayamanom by a lottery agency in Kottayam town. The bundle was subsequently handed over to Mr. Selvan, a local vendor.
Besides Mr. Sadanandan, five others who had bought the ticket from the same vendor were reported to have consolation prizes.
