Drama as man exhumes sister’s remains to prove death, stuns bank officials

An elderly man in eastern India stunned bank officials and customers after exhuming his late sister’s remains to prove her death and access money in her account.

The incident occurred on Monday in Malipasi area of Keonjhar district in Odisha, according to a report by The Hindu.

The man, identified as Jitu Munda of Dianali village, had approached the Maliposi branch of Odisha Grameen Bank in Patana block to withdraw about Rs 20,000 from the account of his elder sister, Kalara Munda, who died on January 26.

However, bank officials requested the necessary documentation before processing the withdrawal.

In a dramatic response, Munda reportedly dug up his sister’s skeleton and brought it to the bank as proof of her death, shocking those present.

With no formal education and little understanding of banking procedures, he said repeated visits to the bank yielded no result.

“I told them she had died, but they did not listen. They kept saying, bring the account holder to withdraw the money. Out of frustration, I dug the grave and brought her skeleton as proof that she is no more,” he said.

The unusual incident prompted officers from the Patana police division to visit the bank after being alerted.

A police official, Kiran Prasad Sahu, said the situation exposed a communication gap between the bank and the claimant.

“Jeetu is an illiterate tribal man. He does not understand what a legal heir or nominee means. The bank officials failed to make him understand the procedure to withdraw money from a deceased person’s account,” Sahu said.

Following police intervention, bank officials assured that the process for accessing the funds would be facilitated in line with due procedures.

The remains were later returned and reburied at the gravesite in the presence of police personnel.

Reports indicated that the situation was further complicated because the nominee on the account had also died, leaving Munda as the sole surviving claimant.

A local official, Manas Dandpat, said authorities had only recently become aware of the case and would work to resolve it.

He added that steps were being taken to help Munda obtain a legal heir certificate and other required documents to access the funds in accordance with the law.

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