A man in India’s Odisha state carried his deceased sister’s skeletal remains to a bank after being unable to withdraw money from her account due to missing legal documents.
The incident took place in Keonjhar district, where Jitu Munda, a resident of Dianali village, walked nearly three kilometres in extreme heat with his sister’s remains wrapped in a cloth on his shoulder.
According to Indian media reports, Jitu’s sister, Kakra Munda, had an account at Odisha Gramin Bank’s Mallipasi branch with Rs19,300 left in it. She had died two months ago. Her husband and only child had already passed away, leaving Jitu as her only surviving relative.
When he first approached the bank to withdraw the amount, the manager reportedly refused, saying either the account holder had to be present or legal heir documents were required to process the payment.
Jitu, who belongs to a tribal community and has no formal education, did not have a death certificate or succession papers and was unable to complete the process.
On Monday, he went to the village burial and cremation ground, dug out his sister’s remains and brought them to the bank in an attempt to prove her death and claim the inheritance.
The scene outside the bank drew a crowd, with locals expressing shock and anger over the situation. Some residents criticised the bank for showing no compassion and questioned why verification through local authorities or a field visit was not considered.
Police later reached the spot after being informed, spoke to Jitu and took control of the situation.
Authorities said that the matter would be dealt with on humanitarian grounds, while a response was also sought from the bank management regarding the incident.
