Odisha man carried sister's skeleton to bank after four rejections
What's the story
It has come to light that the tribal man in Odisha, identified as Jitu Munda, was forced to carry his sister's skeleton to a local bank after being denied service four times. The incident occurred at the Odisha Grameen Bank in Keonjhar district on April 27. Munda was trying to withdraw over ₹19,000 from his deceased sister's account, but was refused by bank officials who demanded a death certificate and a legal heir certificate.
Unusual situation
Bank staff negligent, aware of customer: Official
After being refused service, Munda exhumed his sister's body and brought it to the bank as proof of her death. The incident drew widespread attention after a video went viral. Revenue Divisional Commissioner Sangram Keshari Mohapatra called the incident "extremely shameful" and said bank staff were negligent despite knowing Munda and his sister from previous visits, NDTV reported.
Official statement
IOB denied 'body' claim, blamed inebriation
The Indian Overseas Bank, which sponsors Odisha Grameen Bank, denied reports that Munda was asked to bring his sister's body for claim settlement. They claimed he was in an "inebriated state" and blamed his ignorance of procedures for the incident. After obtaining the necessary documents, the claim amount of ₹19,402 was settled.
Administrative inquiry
Revenue Divisional Commissioner questions 3-month delay in death certificate
Revenue Divisional Commissioner Mohapatra also questioned the three-month delay in issuing Kalara Munda's death certificate. He asked why bank officials insisted on documents without guiding Munda, despite knowing him as a customer. An administrative inquiry is underway to look into lapses at both the bank and local registrar levels for this delay.