A day after a tribal man carried his sister’s skeleton to a rural bank in Odisha’s Keonjhar district as proof of death to withdraw her money, the parent bank clarified that it had only asked for valid documents, even as the incident sparked a row on Tuesday.
A shocking clip of the man carrying the remains to the Malibusi branch of Odisha Gramin Bank on Monday went viral on social media.
The parent bank said the incident appeared to have arisen due to a lack of awareness, and confirmed that the branch would settle the man’s request to withdraw money from his deceased sister’s account on a priority basis once the local authorities issue the death certificate.
Odisha Minister Suresh Pujari said there was a “lack of humanitarian approach” and the government would ensure strict action against the officials concerned, while the Opposition criticized the BJP’s decision, pointing out that Chief Minister Mohan Sharan Majhi represents Keonjhar in the state assembly.
Describing the incident as evidence of the “callous insensitivity of rural banking systems”, BJD Rajya Sabha leader MP Manas Ranjan Mangaraj wrote to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, seeking her urgent intervention in simplifying banking procedures and ensuring dignity for the poor trying to access the savings of their relatives.
Pujari, Odisha’s revenue and disaster management minister, expressed disgust over the incident, saying: “The death certificate was not enough for the bank officials. The man had to exhume a skeleton from the grave to prove that the account holder was dead.”
“There was a lack of humanitarian approach in the entire incident. The government will ensure that the banking officials responsible for this are punished.”
Jitu Munda (50 years old) from Dhanali village was seeking to withdraw $19,300 from the bank branch, where his elder sister Kalra Munda (56) had an account.
“I visited the bank several times. Even though I told them that my sister was dead, they still insisted that I bring her to the bank to withdraw the money deposited in her name,” Jeetu Munda said on Monday.
Angry, he took his sister’s skeleton out of the grave and carried it on his shoulder to the bank. Upon seeing the skeleton, frightened bank officials immediately informed the local police.
Kiran Prasad Sahu, inspector-in-charge of Pattana police station, said that after police intervention, the remains were returned to the cemetery and reburied.
“Jetu is illiterate. He does not know what a legal heir or nominee is. The bank officials failed to make him understand the procedures for withdrawing money in the event of the death of one of his relatives,” the police officer said.
A day after the incident, the rural bank’s sponsor, Indian Overseas Bank (IOB), clarified, “The bank officials did not seek the physical presence of the deceased customer for the withdrawal. They sought valid documents, including a death certificate.”
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“Our branch manager clearly explained that in the event of death, the settlement can only be processed after submitting valid documents, including the death certificate.
“The person who was drunk became disruptive and later returned with human remains, which were reportedly exhumed after being buried a few days earlier. He placed them in front of the branch and claimed to be his sister while demanding a withdrawal from her account. This created an extremely disturbing situation in the building,” the bank said.
Widespread criticism prompted action by the Keonjhar district administration $30,000 per man from the District Red Cross Fund.
“Immediately upon learning of the incident, the district administration prioritized humanity over action. In sympathy with Jitu Munda, financial assistance was provided as per the Prime Minister’s ‘Lok Seva’ approach,” the statement read.
Later, the district collector said: “To ensure that $19,300 deposited in the bank reaches Jeetu Munda without any hindrance. It was coordinated with the bank authorities and delivered. $19402, with interest, to Shri Munda today.”
Despite the recent developments, the BJD, in a social media post, said the sight of the man carrying his sister’s skeleton on his shoulder in the Prime Minister’s District was “unthinkable, and exceeds all limits of cruelty.”
“This is truly unfortunate. Such harassment by bank officials must stop,” the Congress state unit said in a post on X.
According to banking sources, Kalra Munda’s nominee, her elder brother Raipu Munda, has also died. Therefore, Jeetu Munda was the sole plaintiff on the money deposited in her name.
The Keonjhar district administration had earlier said that according to information from the Pattana Revenue Officer, Jeetu Munda did not apply for a death certificate or legal succession certificate, nor did he seek help from the Revenue Inspector or any other administrative official.
Noting that a detailed investigation into the incident is underway, the collector said that an application for Kalara Munda’s death certificate has been submitted at the community health centre.
