Odisha man carries sister's skeleton to bank for withdrawal

In Odisha's Keonjhar district, a 50-year-old tribal man from Dianali village carried the skeletal remains of his deceased sister to a bank branch on April 27 to withdraw money from her account after repeated denials by staff. Jeetu Munda arrived at the Maliposi branch of Odisha Grameen Bank in Patana block seeking about Rs 20,000 from the savings of his elder sister, Kalra Munda, 56, who died on January 26 following the earlier deaths of her husband and son.

Munda, described by police as illiterate and unfamiliar with banking procedures, had visited the bank multiple times with her passbook. He told reporters that officials insisted on the account holder's presence despite his explanations of her death. "I have run several times to the bank, and the people there told me to bring the account holder to withdraw money deposited in her name. Though I told them that she had died, they did not listen to me and insisted on bringing her to the bank. Therefore, out of frustration, I dug the grave and brought out her skeleton as proof of her death," Munda said.

Bank sources confirmed the account nominee had also died, leaving Munda as the sole claimant. Staff required a death certificate...