Following a complaint from the Kerala State Lotteries authorities, Kerala Police have arrested a 43-year-old man, Benny Thomas, for allegedly running a private lottery to fund his wife’s cancer treatment and clear mounting debts.
Benny, a Gulf returnee, had fallen into a debt crisis after multiple business ventures failed. He initially went to Saudi Arabia as a driver and worked there for 35 years. In 2015, he started a spare parts shop in Riyadh and also invested in farming back home in Kerala, planning to take up full-time farming after returning. To finance these ventures, he reportedly took loans worth Rs 55 lakh.
However, the Covid-19 lockdown disrupted his business and premium payments. By the time restrictions eased, Benny’s sponsor in Saudi Arabia had died, and his son took over. Just as things appeared to stabilise, the new sponsor cut off contact. Unable to locate him or renew his visa and documents, Benny was forced to shut down his business. Around the same time, his wife was diagnosed with cancer.
As treatment began, debts mounted rapidly. In a desperate attempt to raise funds, Benny tried to sell his house and land, but the sale did not materialise. Meanwhile, his bank started proceedings to attach the property. In a last-ditch effort to clear liabilities before the bank took possession, Benny explored alternative ways to raise money—leading to the idea of a coupon-based lottery system.
Kerala, a lottery-obsessed southern state, has a government monopoly on lotteries. The state runs seven official daily lotteries, with the budget estimate for lottery revenue in 2025–26 pegged at Rs 14,121.14 crore.
As part of the alleged private lottery, Benny printed 10,000 coupons priced at Rs 1,500 each. He announced his 3,300 sq.ft house and 26 cents of land as the first prize. A used Thar was listed as the second prize, a used Maruti Celerio as the third, and a Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycle as the fourth prize. Coupon sales reportedly began in March, with the draw initially scheduled for May 25. Benny had assured buyers that if the property was sold independently, their money would be refunded.
When he failed to sell enough coupons, the draw was postponed. After selling around 80 per cent of the coupons, Benny decided to hold the draw on December 20 at the parish hall of a nearby church.
However, on December 19, acting on a complaint from the Kannur District Lottery Office, police searched Benny’s house and seized prize coupons bearing serial numbers from 001 to 10,000, along with the counterfoils stored in a cardboard box. Benny was arrested and charged under Section 297 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, which deals with the operation or maintenance of unauthorised lottery offices. The offence carries a punishment of up to six months’ imprisonment, a fine, or both.
Police also invoked Sections 4(c) and 7(3) of the Lotteries (Regulation) Act, 1998. Section 4(c) states that the sale of lottery tickets by unauthorised individuals who are not recognised agents of the State is illegal, while Section 7(3) prescribes penalties—including rigorous imprisonment for up to two years, or a fine, or both—for unauthorised lottery agents.