Kolkata scrap dealer wins Rs 17 crore lottery

KOLKATA: The highest-ever lottery prize money of Rs 17.29 crore in the country was on Monday claimed by a small-time iron scrap dealer here.

Jaiprakash Jaiswal, a trader dealing in iron scrap at Beliaghata area, turned up before the agent of Sikkim Super Lotto at Hidaram Banerjee Lane in College Street to claim the jackpot after the results were announced on Thursday.

Super Lotto's representative here said that they knew someone had won the jackpot as the ticket had been sold by the agent, but no one had turned up to claim the prize till three days after the results were announced.

The middle-aged trader, who bought the winning ticket, was yet to decide on what to do with the money once he received it.

He would get around Rs 11 crore after the deduction of taxes.

The agent, Suresh Dey, was happy that he would get one per cent of the total prize money as commission.

He has decked up his showroom with flowers. A huge poster in front proudly announced that the country's highest ever lottery prize had been won from a ticket sold from his terminal.

Before the windfall on Jaiswal, the highest winner was from Delhi who had won a total prize money of Rs 11.86 crore in 2004.