Alappuzha: A small shop owner from Edathua in Kerala narrowly avoided losing a fortune after accidentally discarding a lottery ticket that was later found to be worth ₹1 crore.

Kunjachamma, a resident of Thalavady Panchayath, had bought two Karunya lottery tickets from a local vendor, Georgekutty. When the results were announced on Thursday, she checked the numbers but noticed only a ₹5,000 consolation prize on one of the tickets. Believing that was all she had won, she discarded the other ticket into a waste box at her shop.

It was only later that her brother informed her that one of the tickets had actually won the first prize. Realising what had happened, the two returned to the shop that night and searched through the waste.

After some time, they managed to find the discarded ticket, confirming her as the winner of the ₹1 crore jackpot.

Kunjachamma runs a small roadside shop along the Ambalappuzha–Thiruvalla state highway and depends on it for her livelihood. 

Adding to the moment, the good news came on Maundy Thursday, making the occasion especially joyous for the family.