Indian man carries sister's remains to bank over account dispute

Jitu Munda walked into the Malliposi branch of Odisha Grameen Bank in Keonjhar district with his sister’s skeletal remains in a sack, demanding access to the account that held the money from her life and death. The 50-year-old from Dianali village said he had been denied the withdrawal because he could not produce a death certificate, a legal hurdle that turned a small family savings claim into a public scandal.

Kalara Munda, 56, died on January 26, 2026, and was buried near the family home under local tribal customs. Reports said her account held about Rs 19,300 to Rs 19,402, money she had earned from the sale of cattle. Jitu Munda was not listed as the nominee, and bank staff told him he needed a death certificate and a legal heir certificate before the account could be settled. The episode spread after a viral video showed him carrying the remains to the branch on Monday, April 27, 2026.

Indian Overseas Bank, which sponsors Odisha Grameen Bank, said the branch had asked only for valid documents and denied social-media claims that officials demanded the dead woman’s physical presence. The bank said the matter was resolved after the government issued the death certificate and legal heir certificate, and the amount was paid to three legal heirs in line with established procedure. Officials also said the dispute grew out of a lack of awareness about claim-settlement rules and described Munda as unwilling to follow the process after allegedly arriving in an inebriated state.

The district administration and police moved in after the scene at the branch. The remains were taken back and reburied, while the family was helped to secure the needed papers in fast-track mode. Once the documents were issued, the bank released the deposit to Jitu Munda, his brother Dhaneswar Munda and his sister-in-law at their home in Dianali village, and the Keonjhar district administration added Rs 30,000 from the District Red Cross Fund as immediate aid.

The outrage quickly reached state leaders. Odisha Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said a humanitarian approach had been lacking and promised action against officials involved. BJD Rajya Sabha leader Manas Ranjan Mangaraj wrote to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman calling for simpler banking procedures and more dignity for poor families trying to claim savings after a death. Rajasthan minister Kirodi Lal Meena called the episode deeply distressing and said he would donate one month’s salary to help the family. Beneath the uproar was a familiar failure: when death paperwork is hard to obtain and banking rules are rigid, grief can spill into humiliation before it is finally acknowledged.