Perunnon Rajan with his family

KANNUR: Perunnon Rajan , who won the first prize of Rs 12 crore in Kerala New Year-Christmas Bumper held on February 10, still feels that it is just a dream as he is yet to overcome the surprise and shock that came with his sudden change in fortune. After deducting taxes, he would get around Rs 7.2 crore.

Rajan (58), a daily-wage labourer and a resident of Puralimala Kaithachal Kurichya Colony at Tholambra in Maloor (a tribal settlement), runs his family by doing odd jobs. But despite financial difficulties, he always bought lottery tickets in the hope that one day there would be a windfall.

“I never thought I’d win this big. Though the result was announced yesterday, I did not expect to be the winner. Today me and my family cross-checked the result before submitting it at the bank,” he said.

Though the ticket was first submitted at the service cooperative bank in Tholambra, officials directed him to submit it at the district bank in Kannur .

He came to the bank with wife Rajani , son Rigil and daughter Akshara and submitted it. Another daughter Athira is married and is living with her husband.

Rajan, who bought his ticket from Koothuparamba , is yet to decide on what he should do with the money. “First of all, I have to clear some liabilities. Then, there are many struggling and ailing people around me, who need support and I should do something for them,” said the labourer who became a ‘crorepati’ overnight.

But the money will not be wasted extravagantly, said Rajan, who knows the value of sweat and the money he earned by hard work.

