17 prizes in 16 years: Another Rs 1 crore winner from Puthoor; 'Lucky' village back in headlines

KOLLAM: Luck favoured Puthoor yet again as an autorickshaw driver won the first prize of Rs one crore in the Kerala State Lottery. The winner is G Jayan (48), an auto-rickshaw driver based at the Puthoor Chanthamukku stand and a resident of 'Pulikkal Veedu' in Cherumangadu, Puthoor. The winning ticket—number SP 760709—was drawn in yesterday’s 'Sthree Sakthi' lottery.

Jayan is the son of Gopalakrishna Pillai and Santhamma. His sister is Jayanthi. He used to win small lottery prizes in the past, reaching up to Rs 50,000, and made it a habit not to miss trying his luck. Jayan said that his immediate priority is to clear the debts he incurred while purchasing his auto-rickshaw. He purchased the ticket from 'Sree Mookambika Lucky Centre' at Puthoor Chanthamukku, an establishment owned by Madhusoodanan Pillai of 'Vishnu Bhavan', Attuvashery. Jayan is unmarried.

For the past 16 years, Puthoor has won first prizes 17 times. Last year, Puthoor got first prizes in May and October. With the news spreading, more people are reaching this village to buy lottery tickets and try their luck.