Kollam, Kerala: A family from Kerala’s Kollam district that earns a living by selling lottery tickets has won the ₹12 crore first prize in the Kerala State Lottery Vishu Bumper draw.

The winning ticket, numbered VB 135452, secured the top prize in the Kerala Vishu Bumper BR-109 draw held on Saturday (May 23).

Family from Sooranad strikes lucky

The winners are Ponnan (76), his wife Radhamani and son Vinod, who live at Vinod Bhavan in Anayi Vayal, Sooranad, Karunagappally in Kollam district.

The family has long been connected with the lottery trade. Ponnan and his son Vinod work as walking lottery vendors and also regularly buy tickets themselves.

The winning ticket was sold through Amma Agency in Manappally.

Win comes amid financial strain

The lottery win comes at a time when the family had reportedly been facing financial difficulties. Their house was under the threat of attachment and they had temporarily managed the situation after borrowing money from several people to avoid losing the property.

After receiving news of the win, Ponnan spoke about the family’s immediate priorities for the prize money.

“We have to repay debts, conduct my son's marriage and repair the house,” he said.