Disputed Lottery win tears ‘close-knit’ family apart in decade-long legal spat

dailystar.co.uk:

lottery win which has driven his once "close-knit" family apart. Ajnesh Chinappa admits he and his wife, Vilashni "can't take it any further" after spending the last decade locked in a legal row over a $250,000NZD (£128,000) win.

New Zealand's Court of Appeal in Auckland heard Ajnesh's mum, Kaniamma Winter bought the lucky lottery ticket 13 years ago but put down Vilashni's bank details as she was with her at the time.A family feud broke out after Ajnesh used $30,000 (£15,000) of that money on a house for the family which was fine until he fell out with his sister and her partner.

Today (Wednesday, May 18) Ajnesh told the New Zealand Herald: "My mum won the Lotto, not my sister."The Court of Appeal says regarding the case: "There is a dispute as to whether Angeline (Ajnesh's sister) or her mother purchased the Lotto ticket." After a decade of disputing the details of the win, Ajnesh said they "can't take it any further" and now plan to sell the house in question to make the payments ordered by the court.The Court of Appeal said: "What is agreed is that on 24 January 2009, Mrs Winter and her daughter-in-law, Vilashni, went grocery shopping."They checked the Lotto ticket at Panmure Stationery and Lotto Shop and found it had won a prize of $250,000.

Mrs Winter, with Vilashni's assistance, completed the Lotto prize claim form on the spot."On the day of the win, Winter filled out the lottery form with her details but gave Vilashni's bank account number.