A man in eastern India says he carried his dead sister’s skeletal remains to a bank after repeated failed attempts to access her savings account following her...
A man in eastern India says he carried his dead sister’s skeletal remains to a bank after repeated failed attempts to access her savings account following her death.
The incident happened in Odisha state and caused national outrage after a video of 52-year-old Jitu Munda carrying the remains to the bank went viral this week.
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Munda said he became frustrated after being unable to withdraw money belonging to his late sister, Kalara, who died earlier this year. He said the bank kept asking for proof of death.
“When the bank manager refused to listen and kept asking for proof, I got frustrated,” Munda said. “I brought the skeleton to show that she had died.”
Police confirmed that Munda had exhumed the remains before taking them to the bank. Authorities later convinced him to return them to the burial site.
The bank denied asking him to bring physical proof of death. It said staff had only requested legally required documents such as a death certificate and proof of legal heirship.
Indian Overseas Bank, which operates the Odisha Grameen Bank branch involved, said reports that staff demanded the deceased person’s presence were false. It added that the family has now received the funds.
The branch manager also disputed parts of Munda’s account, saying he had been informed of the correct procedure and that other heirs had also come forward.
The case has renewed debate in India over banking bureaucracy, especially in rural areas where families often struggle to obtain official documents quickly after a death.
Following public backlash, local officials issued the required paperwork and also offered Munda financial assistance of 30,000 rupees.
