Who is the owner of lottery ticket number AJ442876? Ever since the Kerala state lottery department announced the results of the Thiruvonam Bumper 2017 lottery on Thursday, people have been searching for the lucky winner.
And finally, he has been located. Musthafa, 46, from Palathinkal near Parappanangadi of Malappuram district, is the winner of the first prize at the much coveted lottery. He has won a whopping Rs 10 crores!
On Thursday, the Kerala state lottery department had announced the results at an event held in Sree Chithra Home Auditorium,Thiruvananthapuram, in the presence of Minister Kadakampally Surendran.
Ticket number AJ442876 was sold by an agency in Malappuram district.
Musthafa, who worked as a driver previously, now works in the coconut selling trade.
It was not until Friday evening that Musthafa discovered that he'd won. He was speechless when he heard the news.
“I have won lotteries for smaller amounts earlier, but this huge amount was a surprise. Obviously when I took the lottery ticket, I hoped that I would win, like all others,” Musthafa said.
Musthafa lives in a small, old house with his wife, two sons, and elderly mother.
“The house is very old and I had to renovate it urgently. I was actually struggling to find the money for its renovation. I'm also unwell and was not able to work. Now I can repay my debts, too,” he said, adding that he'd now be able to take better treatment for his physical ailments.
Though Musthafa has had quite the windfall, he does not plan to splurge. Rather, he feels he should save the money for a better future.
“My two daughters are married and my two sons are studying. One son is doing his graduation and the other one is still in school. I can give them a better education now. I will also help my daughters,” said Musthafa, barely able to contain his joy.
Of the Rs 10 crores, Musthafa will get Rs 6.3 crore after deducting tax and agent’s commission.
“This was a huge amount that my family couldn’t have dreamt of ever. I thank Allah for this gift,” he said.
The Onam bumper lottery is one of largest selling and revenue earning lotteries for the state of Kerala. This year, the state lottery department sold about 65 lakh tickets through different agents. The government received Rs 145 crore, of which Rs 59 crore is its profit.