Man regrets winning lottery jackpot after being flooded with requests for help

A man, who recently won the jackpot, has now said he regrets winning after being hounded for financial help.

Anoop, an auto driver from Kerala, India, won 250 million rupees ($3m/£2.8m) in the jackpot, which works out to be 150m rupees ($1.8m/£1.7m) after tax.

The 30-year-old man, who planned to go to Malaysia to work as a chef, has since been shared across social media and appeared in TV interviews. This has prompted strangers to hound him for financial help.

He told the India Times: "I have lost all peace of mind and I can't even reside in my own home as I am besieged with people who come calling to ask me to sort out various needs of theirs as I have won the first prize.

"I now keep changing where I stay as I have lost all peace of mind that I enjoyed till I won the prize.

"Now I really wish, I should not have won it. I, like most people, really enjoyed my winning for a day or two with all the publicity.

"But now this has become a menace and I can't even go outside where I stay. People are after me, seeking help from me."

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After breaking open his son's piggy bank, Anoop purchased the lucky ticket the day before the draw.

Posting a Facebook Live video, he confessed how he wished he'd won the third prize.

"I wish I hadn’t won. The third prize may have been better," he said.

While initially "overjoyed" by the win, Anoop has since moved to his parents to escape the attention. He said he "can't leave the house", adding: "All I can tell everyone is that I haven’t got any money yet. No one seems to understand my problem, no matter how many times I say it."

Anoop has said when he receives his winnings, he'll clear his debts, build a house for his family and do some charity work.

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