A shocking and unusual incident from Odisha’s Keonjhar district has drawn widespread attention after a man allegedly carried his deceased sister’s skeleton to a bank in an attempt to access funds from her account. The incident occurred at the Maliposi branch of Odisha Grameen Bank in Patana block, according to news agency PTI. The man, identified as 50-year-old Jeetu Munda, reportedly took the extreme step after repeated visits to the bank failed to resolve his issue. He claimed bank officials repeatedly instructed him to bring the account holder personally to process the withdrawal request, despite being informed that his sister had passed away months earlier.
Jeetu Munda was reportedly trying to withdraw ₹20,000 deposited in the account of his elder sister, Kalra Munda, who died on January 26. Frustrated after multiple unsuccessful attempts, he allegedly exhumed her remains and carried the skeleton to the bank as evidence of her death. “I have run several times to the bank, and the people there told me to bring the account holder to withdraw money deposited in her name. Though I told them that she had died, they did not listen to me and insisted on bringing her to the bank. Therefore, out of frustration, I dug the grave and brought out her skeleton as proof of her death,” Munda told reporters. The incident stunned local residents and officials alike.
Patna Police Station Inspector-in-Charge (IIC) Kiran Prasad Sahu said the misunderstanding appeared to have stemmed from a failure to properly explain banking procedures to the tribal man. According to the police officer, Jeetu was unaware of legal formalities such as nominee rights and inheritance rules connected to deceased account holders. “Jeetu is an illiterate tribal man. He does not know what the legal heir or nominee is. The bank officials have failed to make him understand the procedure to withdraw money from the dead person's account,” Sahu told news agency PTI. Authorities later intervened and assured him that necessary assistance would be provided to help access the money legally.
Local Block Development Officer (BDO) Manas Dandpat stated that he had only recently become aware of the matter and promised to examine the situation. “Today only, I came to know about it. We will see what can be done to resolve the issue,” the BDO told PTI. Following the controversy, police officials reportedly coordinated efforts to support Jeetu Munda in completing the withdrawal process through the correct legal channels. The skeletal remains of his sister were later reburied at the graveyard under police supervision, bringing a temporary closure to an incident that exposed gaps in communication and awareness regarding banking procedures in remote tribal communities.