In a Keonjhar tribal man bank withdrawal dispute in Odisha, a man took a shocking step after being denied access to his deceased sister’s savings. He brought her skeletal remains to the bank to prove her death and claim the ₹20,000 deposit.
The incident took place at the Mallipasi branch of Odisha’s Grameen Bank, falling under Keonjhar’s Patna block. The 59-year-old Jitu Munda, hailing from Dianali village, reached the bank along with the skeletal remains in a plastic sack and placed it outside the bank branch, demanding the release of a Rs. 20,000 deposit in her bank account.
Man Exhumes Sister’s Remains
Officials highlighted that Jitu’s elder sister, Kalra Munda, died on January 26, without a legal heir and nominee. Citing this, the bank officials reportedly refused to release her savings and informed Jitu that the account holder must be present or the legal heir documents must be produced. On learning this, Jitu decided to take the skeletal remains of her sister, the officials stated.
On learning about the incident, the police reached the bank branch and asked him to go to the tehsil office and acquire the legal heir certificate so that he could take the money from the bank. Furthermore, the police took the skeletal remains and buried them again, the Indian Express reports.
The Indian Express further reports that the inspector in charge of the Patna police station, Kiran Prasad Sahu, said that the man is not aware of the terms “legal heir” or “nominee” as he is not educated. “The bank officials failed to make him understand the procedure to withdraw the money from the account,” said the officer.
The local administration directed bank officials to release the money to Jitu at the earliest. However, Patna Block Development Officer Manas Dandapat said no one had approached him. “We would have made arrangements much earlier,” he added.
Sources said the district administration has sought a detailed report from the concerned authorities on the incident, while bank staff declined to comment on the matter.
