A preliminary inquiry by the Odisha government has indicated systemic failures behind the desperate and disturbing act of a tribal man who carried his sister’s skeletal remains to a bank in order to prove her death.
Asked by the bank to submit proof of his sister’s death to withdraw money from her account, Jitu Munda of Diananali village under Patna block in Keonjhar district had exhumed his sister’s body and carried the skeletal remains on his shoulder to the bank on Monday (April 27, 2026). Mr. Munda wanted to withdraw ₹19,300 that was in the account of Kalara Munda, who had died two months ago.
A day after the unsettling visuals posted online sparked outrage across the country, the Keonjhar administration moved at breakneck speed issuing a death certificate and legal heir certificate, the documents required for withdrawal from the deceased’s account. The bank handed over the amount at Mr. Munda’s doorstep — all in one day on Tuesday (April 28, 2026).
“I, along with the District Collector of Keonjhar, examined an hour-long CCTV footage capturing banking inside the Malipasi branch of Odisha Grameen Bank, on the day (April 27, 2026). It shows lapses on part of the bank authorities,” said Sangram Keshari Mohapatra, Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC), who is heading the probe announced by the Odisha government.
