A tribal man in Keonjhar district, Odisha, sought to withdraw funds from his deceased sister’s bank account by bringing her skeleton to the local bank on Monday. The event unfolded at the Maliposi branch of the Odisha Grameen Bank situated in the Patana block. Identified as Jeetu Munda, a 50-year-old resident of Dianali village, he aimed to claim Rs 20,000 from the account of his late sister, Kalra Munda, who passed away on January 26, 2026.

Jeetu Munda reportedly visited the bank multiple times, only to be told by the staff that the account holder needed to be present to complete the transaction. Despite informing them of his sister’s death, he faced persistent requests to bring her to the bank, leading him to exhuming her remains.

Inspectors from the Patana Police Station were alerted and responded to the unusual situation. Kiran Prasad Sahu, the officer in charge, stated that Jeetu Munda, who is illiterate, was not aware of the legal requirements concerning the withdrawal of money from a deceased person’s account. The police and local authorities acknowledged that the banking personnel had failed to properly inform him about the legal heir or nominee processes.

Police Intervention and Future Steps

After the incident, police assured Jeetu that they would assist him in the procedure to access the funds in his sister’s bank account. Following this, the skeleton was reburied at the graveyard with police presence to ensure proper respect and adherence to protocol.

Block Development Officer (BDO) Manas Dandpat noted that no one had approached him regarding the legal heir status of Kalra Munda before this incident. Dandpat indicated that he had only learned about the matter on the day it occurred, promising to investigate potential avenues for resolution.

Bank representatives disclosed that the nominee listed on Kalra Munda’s account had also passed away. As a result, Jeetu Munda was left as the only claimant to the funds, complicating the situation further. Local administration officials have since instructed the bank to expedite the process to ensure that Jeetu Munda receives the funds he is entitled to.

Community Reaction and Assistance

This event has sparked discussions within the local community regarding financial literacy, particularly among tribal populations. There is a growing recognition of the need for accessible guidance about banking processes so that individuals in similar situations do not face undue hardships.

Authorities are contemplating additional measures to educate villagers about legal procedures related to financial inheritances, aiming to prevent future occurrences of such distressing situations. Support and resources may be implemented through local governance to enhance community understanding of banking requirements.

In light of the circumstances, officials are evaluating how best to handle cases where legal heirs are not immediately identified, intending to establish a more transparent and humane banking process for those grappling with bereavement.

Long or Short, get news the way you like. No ads. No redirections. Download Newspin and Stay Alert, The CSR Journal Mobile app, for fast, crisp, clean updates!

App Store –  https://apps.apple.com/in/app/newspin/id6746449540 

Google Play Store – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.inventifweb.newspin&pcampaignid=web_share