Tiruvananthapuram: A former Non-Resident Indian (NRI) couple who wanted to sell their house through a lucky draw, after the real estate mafia tried to exploit their present financial situation and quoted half the price of the market value, has now been served a notice by the State Lottery Department, asking them to stop the draw.
The State Lottery department has told the couple that they cannot run a lottery as it is illegal and the state government only could conduct such draws.
Anna and Joe, residents of Vattiyurkavu, decided to sell the house as they have an outstanding loan of Rs 38 lakh and the bank will attach the property. The couple's efforts to sell their property were thwarted by the real-estate mafia as they saw it as a distress sale and quoted only half the price.
So Anna and Joe decided to sell their house through a lucky draw. Their idea was to sell 3700 coupons of Rs. 2000 each to raise Rs.74 lakhs. One lucky winner will get the 1300 sq. ft house and 3 cents of land. They have already sold 200 coupons so far but now have to stop the sale because of the notice from the lottery department.
Anna and Joe were working abroad and started a business in Kerala after they returned. The Covid pandemic destroyed all their plans and they incurred huge losses. When their resources dried up, they could not repay the house loan and the bank has given several notices for repayment. The bank is now moving ahead with the proceedings for attachment.
Anna and Joe refused to officially comment on the case and even refused to come out of their house.
Also Read: Anand Mahindra gifts new house to 'Idly Amma' in Coimbatore
