Haunting images have gone viral of a man carrying the skeletal remains of his sister on his shoulders to a bank in Odisha’s Keonjhar district, trying to withdraw money from her account, an action he says was prompted by repeated rejections and mounting frustration.
The incident took place on April 27 at the Malibusi branch of Odisha Gramin Bank in Pattana district.
The man, identified as Jeetu Munda, 50, from Dhanali village, was trying to withdraw $20 lakh from the account of his elder sister Kalra Munda (56) who died on January 26 this year.
HT had earlier reported that Jeetu’s sister had returned to her parents’ home after the death of her husband and only son. She had opened a savings account at the local branch and was regularly depositing money into it before her death about two months ago. After her death, the family performed her last rites and buried her near their home in Dayanali village.
A man explains why he took skeletal remains to the bank
In the following weeks, Jeetu went to the bank with her checking book to withdraw money from the account. He explained why he was carrying his sister’s skeletal remains, saying that he tried to inform bank officials of her death, but they insisted on bringing them to the branch.
“I ran several times to the bank, and the people there asked me to bring the account holder to withdraw the money deposited in her name. Even though I told them that she was dead, they did not listen to me and insisted on bringing her to the bank. So, out of frustration, I dug the grave and took out her skeleton as proof of her death,” the illiterate Jitu Munda told reporters.
(Viewer Warning: Images may be disturbing to some)
Odisha Minister on ‘action’ against bank officials
In a strong reaction, Odisha Minister Suresh Pujari said: “I have spoken to the administration regarding this matter. Action must be taken against the bank employees for this inhumane approach. I will request the senior officials of the bank not to treat this case as an isolated case and punish the accused.”
“The person’s death certificate was not enough for the bank staff which forced the man to exhume the remains of his deceased sister. Such an incident has never happened before in India. The government has taken serious note of the behavior of the bank staff and will deal with the matter at the appropriate level to ensure that the accused are punished,” Pujari added.
Read also | ‘They said bring the account holder’: Odisha man takes his dead sister’s skeleton to the bank to withdraw money
According to Uma Shankar Dhalai, a sub-collector, the man was not aware of the required legal procedures and acted out of frustration. Officials noted that he is not a legal heir in the first degree, which is why the bank sought documents that it was unable to provide, the Italian news agency reported.
Pattana police station Inspector-in-Charge Kiran Prasad Sahu, who reached the bank after receiving information, said, “Jeetu is an illiterate tribal man. He does not know what a legal heir or nominee is. The bank officials failed to make him understand the procedure of withdrawing money from the account of a deceased person,” according to a PTI report.
Police assure the man of further assistance
Following the incident, the police assured Jitu Munda that they would help facilitate the withdrawal. The skeletal remains were later reburied in the cemetery in the presence of police.
Meanwhile, local block development officer Manas Dandpat said no one had approached his office about the legal heir certificate. He said, “Only today I learned about it. We will see what can be done to solve the problem.”
Banking sources indicated that the candidate listed in Kalra Munda’s account had also died, leaving Jitu Munda as the sole claimant of the funds. The local administration has now directed the bank officials to ensure that it gets the funds as per rules as soon as possible.
