New Delhi: In a shocking incident, a man brought the skeletal remains of his dead sister to a bank in a bid to access and withdraw funds from her account. Police and local authorities stepped in following the episode.
The incident took place at the Maliposi branch of Odisha Grameen Bank in Patana block in Keonjhar on Monday. The man, identified as 50-year-old Jeetu Munda, had been trying to withdraw Rs 20,000 from the account of 56-year-old Kalra Munda, his elder sister, who died on January 26, 2026, according to reports.
What the man did
As per Jeetu Munda, despite having visited the branch several times, his attempts to withdraw the money had gone in vain. Speaking to reporters, he said: “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.”
What the police said
After being informed, police swung into action and reached the branch. Patana Police Station Inspector-in-Charge Kiran Prasad Sahu reportedly said the situation arose because of a lack of awareness about the proper procedure.
The cop said: “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.”
After the incident, Jeetu was assured by the police he would be offered help so that he can take out the funds. Later, the remains were reburied at the graveyard in the presence of officials.
Local Block Development Officer Manas Dandpat pointed out that the help of the administration had not been sought earlier in the matter. “Today only, I came to know about it. We will see what can be done to resolve the issue,” he said.
Bank sources said the nominee linked to Kalra Munda’s account had also passed away, and therefore, Jeetu was left as the only claimant. Authorities have now instructed bank officials to complete the formalities and make sure that Jeetu gets the money as soon as possible.