A 42-year-old tribal man's video of carrying his sister's skeletal remains to the bank to prove her death and claim her savings has sparked widespread outrage in Odisha's Keonjhar district.
Jeetu Munda, a resident of Mallipasi village, approached the Maliposhi branch of Odisha Grameen Bank with the skeletal remains of his sister, Kala Munda, slung over his shoulder.
Kala had opened a savings account at the branch and regularly deposited money into it till her death in January this year.
However, Jeetu made multiple visits to the bank with her passbook seeking to withdraw her savings but reportedly did not inform bank officials that his sister had died.
A bank official told him he would be able to withdraw the money only if the account holder was present, prompting Jeetu to exhum her body and carry it to the bank.
A bank employee noticed the body and alerted local police, who persuaded Jeetu to take the remains back to his village, assuring him that the required documentation will be arranged to enable withdrawal of the money from his sister's account.
The Indian Overseas Bank has denied demanding the physical presence of the account holder and stated that the bank followed due process for settlement of deceased accounts.
The Indian Red Cross Society has provided ₹20,000 to support funeral expenses of Munda's sister.
