Mr Pookunju has been making a living by selling fish on his two-wheeler.
A Keralan fish vendor will never forget October 12th in his life, and anyone who hears his story will never forget it either.
Reeling under a debt burden, forty-year-old Pookunju's good fortune provided an instant solution to all his worries as he won a lottery of Rs 70 lakhs.
Mr. Pookunju was served a bank attachment notice on October 12 as he was unable to pay back the loan amount of around Rs 12 lakh, and on the same day, after a few hours, he got the news that he had won the first prize in the Akshaya lottery.
According to a news report by Onmanorama, "Mr Pookunju received the notice around 12 noon on Wednesday after missing a loan payment deadline, and at 3:00 pm that same day, he found he had won the lottery."
"Pookunju struggled with his finances since he relied on selling fish on his scooter in the northern Mynagappally region to make ends meet. He had gotten a loan of Rs. 9 lakh from Corporation Bank to build his house, "the report further said.
"We were in despair after we received the notice from the bank. We did not know what to do. Whether to sell our property We have two children, a boy and girl, who are studying," news agency PTI quoted his wife as saying."
"Besides the bank loan, my father had racked up a debt of around Rs 5 lakh by buying lottery tickets," Mr Pookunju said.
On their plans with the winnings, Pookunju's wife said they will first clear all their debts and then ensure their children receive a good education so that they reach a good level in life.
(With inputs from PTI)