Kerala Thiruvonam bumper lottery: Luck finally smiled on Altaf Pasha on October 9, after 15 long years. The scooter mechanic had been buying lotteries for all these years believing he would win one day. Wednesday was that day as Altaf hit the jackpot — the Rs 25-crore Kerala Thiruvonam bumper lottery.
The lucky ticket — TG 434222 — was sold at SJ Lucky Centre, a vendor in Panamaram, Sultan Bathery, according to local media reports. The Kerala Lotteries department sold over 71.43 lakh tickets this year. Kerala Finance Minister K N Balagopal was present during the special draw on October 9.
Speaking to the local media, Altaf Pasha and his family members said they want to use the prize money to clear loans, arrange grand weddings for the children, and possibly buy a house.
Altaf Won't Get The Entire Amount Of Rs 25 Crore
According to the rules, the Kerala government lotteries can only be bought by local residents. Altaf lives in Pandavpura, near Mysuru in Karnataka, and always asks someone in Kerala to buy it for him. This year too, he had asked a friend in Wayanad to buy two tickets of the Kerala Thiruvonam bumper lottery for Rs 500 each.
He had in fact thought of giving away one of these tickets to a friend, but was stopped by his wife, Altaf's daughter told News18, adding that the same ticket won him Rs 25 crore.
His 18-year-old daughter Tanaz Fathima wants to be a doctor, according to the report.
Despite winning Rs 25 crore, however, he won't get the full amount. There will be tax deductions of around Rs 12.11 crore, and some charges that will be applied, after which Altaf will be able to take home around Rs 12.88 crore.
In 2023, The Thiruvonam Bumper Lottery was shared between four joint winners from Tirupur, Tamil Nadu.