'Won lottery of Rs 25 crore, but I received only this much; it is my long-time wish to buy BMW car, but I haven't bought it because of this reason'

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Anoop, a native of Sreekanteswaram, Thiruvananthapuram, came into the spotlight after winning the first prize of Rs 25 crore in the Onam bumper lottery. He had earlier shared his experiences about people visiting his home, asking for help after he revealed that he won the lottery. Recently, he started a restaurant.

Anoop has now openly stated that he received only about half of the prize money. Speaking to a YouTube channel, Anoop said that although he got Rs 15 crore from the state lottery department, taxes had to be paid to both the central and state governments.

He added that he has not used the principal amount yet and is managing expenses from the interest earned. "I used the interest to start my business and buy an old house built by someone else. It is my long-time wish to buy a BMW car, but I haven't bought it even though I have the money," Anoop said.

Soon after his win, Anoop had announced plans to open a restaurant. Two years later, he has launched his restaurant ‘Happy’ at Kaithamukku. He earlier ran a lottery ticket business in Manacaud, but closed it due to time constraints. He still buys lottery tickets and says people continue to approach him for help.