Man takes sister’s skeletal remains to bank to prove death, withdraw funds
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A shocking incident in Odisha’s Keonjhar district, India saw a man allegedly exhuming his sister’s skeletal remains and taking them to a bank to prove her death, after being repeatedly denied access to her savings.
The incident took place at the Mallipasi branch of the Odisha Grameen Bank under Patna block, where 59-year-old Jitu Munda of Dianali village arrived early Monday morning carrying the remains in a plastic sack over a distance of about 3km.
Frustrated over the bank’s refusal to release ₹20,000 from his late sister’s account, he placed the remains outside the bank premises and demanded the money.
“Frustrated over repeated denial by bank officials to withdraw the savings of his dead sister from a rural bank, a tribal man in Odisha’s Keonjhar district exhumed her skeletal remains ‘to prove that she died two months ago’.”
Officials said Jitu’s elder sister, Kalra Munda, 62, died on January 26.
However, since she had no legal heir or nominee, bank officials reportedly refused to release the funds, insisting that the account holder must be present or proper legal heir documents be submitted.
“Distressed, Jitu took the extreme step, officials said.”
Police were called to the scene shortly after the incident and intervened, calming the situation and advising Jitu to obtain a legal heir certificate from the tehsil office before the funds could be released.
“The police immediately reached the bank branch, pacified him and told him to go to the tehsil office to get the legal heir certificate so he could withdraw the money. The police took away the skeletal remains and buried them again,” officials said.
Inspector-in-charge of Patna police station, Kiran Prasad Sahu, said the man was unaware of banking procedures.
“The man doesn’t know what a legal heir or nominee means as he is not educated. The bank officials failed to make him understand the procedure to withdraw the money from the account,” he said.
According to reports, Kalra Munda had previously lost her husband and only child, leaving Jitu as her sole surviving relative.
While local authorities reportedly directed the bank to release the funds once documentation is completed, Patna block development officer Manas Dandapat said he had not yet been formally approached.
“We would have made arrangements much earlier,” he said.
District officials have since sought a report on the incident, while bank staff declined to comment on the matter.
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