Odisha man brings sister’s skeleton to withdraw money; bank says only papers sought

A tribal man in Odisha’s Keonjhar district exhumed the skeletal remains of his deceased sister and brought them to a bank in an attempt to withdraw money from her account, triggering widespread outrage. The bank later clarified that its officials had only asked for valid documents.

The incident occurred on Monday at the Maliposi branch of Odisha Grameen Bank in Patana block. The man, identified as Jeetu Munda (50) from Dianali village, had been trying to withdraw ₹19,300 from the account of his elder sister, Kalra Munda (56), who died on January 26, 2026.

“I visited the bank several times, but officials kept asking me to bring the account holder. I told them she had died, but they did not listen,” Jeetu told reporters. “Out of frustration, I exhumed her remains and brought them as proof.”

Shocked bank staff immediately alerted the police. Following intervention by officers from Patana Police Station, the remains were taken back and reburied.

Inspector-in-charge Kiran Prasad Sahu said the incident highlighted a lack of awareness. “Jeetu is illiterate and unaware of procedures such as nominee or legal heir claims. The bank officials failed to adequately explain the process for withdrawing money after a depositor’s death,” he said.

Spurred into action by the widespread criticism, the Keonjhar district administration provided ₹30,000 to the man from the District Red Cross Fund.

Later, the district collector said, “To ensure that the ₹19,300 deposited in the bank reaches Jeetu Munda without any hindrance, the tehsildar coordinated with the bank authorities and handed over ₹19,402, with interest, to Shri Munda today.”

A day later, Indian Overseas Bank, the sponsor of the rural bank, issued a clarification stating that its staff had not asked for the physical presence of the deceased customer, but had only sought required documents, including a death certificate.

In an X post, the IOB said, “An individual, Mr Jitu Munda, visited the branch for the first time, requesting withdrawal from an account held in his sister's name, Ms Kalara Munda. As per banking regulations, third-party withdrawals are not permitted without proper authorisation. Upon being informed, he stated that the account holder was deceased.”

“Our branch manager clearly explained that in the event of death, settlement can only be processed upon submission of valid documents, including a death certificate. The individual who was in an inebriated condition became disruptive and later returned with human remains, reportedly exhumed after being buried a few days earlier, placing them in front of the branch and claiming it to be his sister while demanding withdrawal from her account. This created a highly distressing situation at the premises,” the bank said.

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 took potshots at the BJP dispensation, pointing out that Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi represents Keonjhar in the state Assembly.

Terming the incident a proof of “harsh insensitivity of rural banking systems”, the BJD's Rajya Sabha leader MP Manas Ranjan Mangaraj wrote to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, seeking her urgent intervention in simplifying banking procedures and ensuring the dignity for the poor trying to access their kin's savings.

Meanwhile, the BJD, in a social media post, said the sight of the man carrying his sister's skeleton on his shoulder in the chief minister's district was “unimaginable, crossing all limits of cruelty.”

The Congress' state unit, in a post on X, said, “This is truly unfortunate. Such harassment by bank officials must stop.”

According to bank sources, the nominee of Kalra Munda's account, her elder brother Raibu Munda, was also dead. Therefore, Jeetu Munda was the lone claimant over the money deposited in her name.

The Keonjhar district administration had earlier said that, according to information from the Patana revenue officer, Jeetu Munda had not applied for a death certificate or legal heir certificate, nor had he sought assistance from the revenue inspector or any other administrative officer.

Stating that a detailed inquiry into the incident was underway, the collector said an application for the death certificate of Kalara Munda has been filed at the Community Health Centre.