Brother Takes Sister's Skeleton To Bank To Withdraw Rs 20,000 From Her Account
Keonjhar, Odisha, April 28, AIMA Media Update News : The actions taken by a tribal man to withdraw money from his deceased sister's bank account have left everyone in shock. After making repeated rounds of the bank without officials clearly explaining the proper procedure and instead being harassed with demands to bring the account holder in person he went to the extreme length of taking his sister's skeleton directly to the bank. This incident, which occurred in Odisha, has now become a major topic of discussion.
According to the details, Jitu Munda (50) and Kalra Munda (56) a brother and sister hailed from Dianali village in the Patna block of Odisha's Keonjhar district. Kalra Munda held an account at the Maliposi branch of the Odisha Gramya Bank. However, Kalra Munda passed away on January 26th. At the time of her death, her account held a balance of Rs 20,000. It is reported that this money had been deposited into the bank account after she sold some livestock.
Subsequently, Jitu Munda visited the Odisha Gramya Bank multiple times, requesting officials to allow him to withdraw the Rs 20,000 from his late sister's account. However, the bank staff informed him that funds could only be withdrawn if the account holder appeared in person. The bank officials then instructed Jitu to bring a death certificate and other relevant documents. Yet, being illiterate, Jitu was not given an explanation that he could fully understand. Because the instructions were delivered in a brusque and unhelpful manner without clearly explaining the proper procedure Jeetu, unsure of what else to do, went so far as to bring his sister's skeleton who had passed away two months earlier directly to the bank.
Jeetu dug up his sister's grave and retrieved her skeleton. Wrapping it in a cloth, he carried it to the bank, located three kilometers away. Upon witnessing this, the bank staff and customers were left utterly shocked. Speaking on the matter, Jeetu Munda stated, "No matter how many times I told the bank officials that my sister had passed away, they simply wouldn't listen. They insisted that they would release the funds only if I brought her in person. Left with no other recourse and at a complete loss as to what to do, I dug up her grave and brought her skeleton."
Terrified upon seeing Jeetu arrive at the Odisha Grameen Bank with a skeleton, the bank staff immediately alerted the police. Responding to the call, the police arrived at the scene and conducted an inquiry into the incident. The police noted that Jeetu is an illiterate tribal man who is unfamiliar with concepts such as nominees or legal heirs. They observed that the bank officials had failed to explain these procedures to him in a manner he could understand, citing this as the reason he had resorted to bringing the skeleton. Subsequently, the police assured Jeetu that they would assist him and ensure the funds were withdrawn from his sister's account and handed over to him. The skeleton was then reburied at the grave site.
Meanwhile, bank officials confirmed that the individual designated as the nominee on Kalra Munda's account had also passed away, leaving Jeetu Munda as her sole surviving legal heir.
The manner in which the bank staff treated Jeetu Munda an illiterate individual in the name of adhering to regulations has sparked a wave of severe criticism across social media platforms.
--- M Venkata T Reddy, News Editor And Investigative Journalist
