As the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday published the electoral bonds data shared by the State Bank of India (SBI) on its website, various intricate details have come into the picture and Santiago Martin’s story is definitely on the top.
The founder of ‘Future Gaming and Hotel Services’, Martin started his journey as a laborer in Myanmar, and then rose to prominence as the ‘Lottery King’.
As per data available on ECI’s website, Martin’s firm reportedly purchased electoral bonds worth Rs 1,368 crore between April 2019 and January 2024 – making him the number one bond buyer.
After returning from Myanmar in 1988, Martin started a lottery business by founding Martin Lottery Agencies Ltd in Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore. It was during this period that his name, ‘Lottery Martin’, and his enterprise became household names as the two-digit lottery craze swept the region.
Expanding his operations from Coimbatore to Karnataka and then to Kerala, he eventually secured the approval to operate in various states including Meghalaya, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Punjab. His empire was entirely established on the aspirations of the common people, which raised him to a position of immense wealth and influence.
Martin’s political scandals began in Kerala, a state where the lottery holds significant cultural and economic significance. Amid allegations of defrauding the Sikkim government of over Rs 4,500 crore, Martin made a controversial contribution of Rs 2 crore to the CPI(M) mouthpiece, Deshabhimani.
It was a time when there was internal strife within the CPI(M) Kerala unit’s two groups – one led by Pinarayi Vijayan and the other one by V S Achuthanandan. Subsequently, Martin’s association with political discourse in Kerala became emblematic of the Left’s challenges in the state.
Despite his contributions to political entities, Martin’s lavish spending habits often overshadowed his political affiliations. However, figures like V.S. Achuthanandan regarded lotteries as a lifeline for the underprivileged, offering them a ray of hope.
Martin’s close ties with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) also brought him fortunes. In 2011, he produced the Tamil film “Ilaignan” with a screenplay written by the then Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi. However, with changing leadership, Martin became adversarial, leading to his arrest on charges of land grabbing under the Jayalalithaa regime.
When he met with legal challenges and CBI investigations, Leema Rose (his wife) began to emerge as a prominent figure.
She filed a police complaint against individuals attempting to frame Martin in a fake lottery case and later joined the Indhiya Jananayaga Katchi (IJK), sharing the stage with Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi during an election campaign.
More recently, Martin’s empire reached beyond the lottery business and reached new ranks which include ventures like Martin Homeopathy Medical College and Hospital, SS Music, M and C Property Development, Martin Nanthavanam apartments, and Leema Real Estate Private Limited.
However, Martin’s enterprises were repeatedly under scrutiny, with law enforcement agencies conducting raids and investigations on allegations ranging from tax evasion to financial irregularities.
The most recent crackdown on Martin occurred in May 2023, when the Enforcement Directorate attached Rs 457 crore under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in connection with a case linked to alleged losses incurred by the Sikkim government.
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Who is Santiago Martin? ‘Lottery Lord’ is top buyer of electoral bonds, donated Rs 1,368 crore since April 2019 – The Financial Express
