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An unusual and shocking scene unfolded in eastern India when an elderly man exhumed his late sister’s remains and carried them to a bank in a desperate attempt to access her savings.
The incident occurred on Monday in the Malipasi area of Keonjhar district in Odisha, according to The Hindu.
The man, identified as Jitu Munda from Dianali village, had approached the Maliposi branch of the Odisha Grameen Bank in Patana block to withdraw about Rs 20,000 from the account of his elder sister, Kalara Munda, who died on January 26. However, bank officials insisted on proper documentation before granting access.
Frustrated after repeated unsuccessful visits and lacking formal education, Munda took an extreme step—digging up his sister’s skeleton and presenting it at the bank as proof of her death, leaving staff and customers stunned.
“I told them she had died, but they did not listen. They kept saying, bring the account holder to withdraw the money. Out of frustration, I dug the grave and brought her skeleton as proof that she is no more,” he said.
The shocking development drew the attention of police officers from the Patana division, who visited the bank following reports of the incident.
A police official, Kiran Prasad Sahu, attributed the situation to a communication gap between the bank and the man.
“Jeetu is an illiterate tribal man. He does not understand what a legal heir or nominee means. The bank officials failed to make him understand the procedure to withdraw money from a deceased person’s account,” Sahu said.
Following police intervention, bank officials assured Munda that the process of accessing the funds would be facilitated in line with due legal procedures.
The remains were later returned and reburied at the gravesite in the presence of police personnel.
Further reports indicated that the situation was complicated by the fact that the nominee on the account had also died, leaving Munda as the sole surviving claimant.
A local official, Manas Dandpat, said authorities only became aware of the matter recently and are now taking steps to resolve it.
“Today only, I came to know about it. We will see what can be done to resolve the issue,” he said.
Officials in the Patana block have since assured that Munda will be assisted in obtaining a legal heir certificate and other necessary documents required to access the funds lawfully.
