A startling video has surfaced, showing an Indian man transporting his deceased sister’s remains to a bank, aiming to prove her death in order to access her account funds.
Jeetu Munda, aged 50, reportedly unearthed his sister’s body on Monday due to his inability to provide official documentation of her death, according to a report by the English-language outlet Lokmat Times.
The distressing footage captures Munda, both shirtless and barefoot, as he carries the skeletal remains wrapped in a shawl through the streets in broad daylight. He eventually lays them before an Odisha Grameen Bank branch in the Keonjhar district, located roughly 180 miles from Kolkata.
Munda was attempting to withdraw approximately 20,000 rupees, equivalent to $211, from the account of his older sister, Kalra Munda, who passed away in January at the age of 56.
Speaking to reporters through a translator, Munda expressed, “I made numerous trips to the bank, yet the officials insisted that the account holder must be present to withdraw the funds in her name.”
He continued, “Despite explaining her death, they refused to believe me, demanding her presence. Frustrated, I resorted to exhuming her body to provide tangible evidence of her passing.”
According to authorities, the rural man could not understand the process required to nominate him as his sister’s legal heir so he could access the money left in her account.
“Jeetu is an illiterate tribal man. He does not know what the legal heir or nominee is. The bank officials have failed to make him understand the procedure to withdraw money from the dead person’s account,” local police inspector Kiran Prasad Sahu told news agency PTI.
Following the bizarre incident, authorities reportedly helped Munda complete the money withdrawal process through the correct legal channels, and the remains of his sister were reburied under police supervision.
The Odisha Grameen Bank’s chairman described the incident as “deeply unfortunate,” but insisted that staff followed the correct procedures.
Munda reportedly gave inconsistent statements regarding his sister’s condition, saying she was unwell before later saying she had died.
Bank officials say employees told him that he needed to provide valid documents, such as a death certificate and a legal heir certification, to get hold of the money.
“Despite being counselled, he did not agree and later returned with what was claimed to be his sister’s remains. The situation created panic among bank staff and customers, following which local police were informed. The police intervened and handled the situation,” Chairman Rishi Singh told the Lokmat Times on Tuesday.
Munda is not believed to be facing any charges in connection with the incident.
