Auto driver-cum-chef on cloud nine as he wins Rs 25 crore Onam bumper lottery
Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 18: 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.
Even more interesting is that Anoop, hailing from Sreevaraham here, bought the winning ticket -- TJ 750605 -- on Saturday.
But it was not his first choice, he told media persons who were present at the agency where he had bought the ticket.
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.
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.
"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.
"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.
After taxes are deducted, Anoop would probably take home around Rs 15 crore.
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.
Besides that, Anoop said he would help out his relatives, do some charity work and start something in the hotel field in Kerala.
His wife, who was also present along with him at the agency, told reporters that he has been buying tickets for years.
"We have been receiving a lot of calls ever since everyone got to know about the win," she further said.
"I will again buy lottery tickets," Anoop said as reporters jostled each other to get a few words from him.
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.
This year's second prize of Rs 5 crore will go to the owner of the ticket -- TG 270912.
In addition to that, 10 others have won a prize of Rs 1 crore each.
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.
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Nora Fatehi apologises before NCW over 'Sarke Chunar' row, vows support for orphan girls
New Delhi (PTI): Actor Nora Fatehi on Thursday appeared before the National Commission for Women in connection with a controversy surrounding the song 'Sarke Chunar' and apologised, saying there was "no intention to offend anybody."
Speaking to reporters after the hearing, Fatehi said she had been put in a situation unintentionally but acknowledged her responsibility as an artist.
"It was just a situation that I was put in, and there was no intention to offend anybody. But of course, I have to be responsible as an artiste. I definitely apologise, we have done everything in writing. They have been so kind and helpful," she said.
The actor also said she has decided to sponsor the education of a few orphan girls.
"It's really important for us to give back to society. So, I decided that we should sponsor a few orphan girls, their education, so that is the goal after this matter," she said.
Earlier, Fatehi distanced herself from the Hindi version of the song, saying she had shot the Kannada version and that her permission was not taken for its use in Hindi.
The Hindi version of the song, released on March 15 on YouTube, triggered outrage among a section of the public over its allegedly explicit lyrics.
Following the backlash, the makers removed the Hindi version from YouTube, though it continued to circulate across platforms. The lyricist, singer and director have also issued apologies.
'KD The Devil' is a Kannada film, dubbed in four languages, including Hindi.
