Outrage after Odisha man carries skeleton to bank

E-PaperSubscribeSubscribeEnjoy unlimited accessSubscribe Now! Get features like Bhubaneswar A 42-year-old tribal man’s video carrying skeletal remains of his sister to the bank to prove her death and claim her savings triggered widespread outrage on Monday, prompting the bank to immediately process the claim and release the sum of ₹19,402 the following day in Odisha’s Keonjhar district, officials familiar with the matter said. Outrage after Odisha man carries skeleton to bankThe incident took place in Mallipasi village on Monday afternoon when Jeetu Munda approached the Maliposhi branch of Odisha Grameen Bank in Keonjhar with the skeletal remains of his sister slung over his shoulder. Jeetu’s sister, Kala Munda (48), had returned to her parental place after losing her husband and her only son and opened a savings account at the branch and regularly deposited money into it till her death in January this year. Her family had performed her last rites and buried her near their home in Dianali village. According to people aware of the matter, after her death, Jeetu made multiple visits to the bank with her passbook seeking to withdraw her savings but reportedly did not inform bank officials that his sister had died. During one such visit, a bank official told him he would be able to withdraw the money only if the account holder was present. “We had asked him to get the documents to prove that he was the legal heir of his sister,” said a bank official. Believing he needed to physically produce his sister to complete the withdrawal, Jeetu returned to his village, exhumed her body, placed the remains in a plastic sack and carried it to the bank. A bank employee noticed the body placed on the branch verandah and alerted local police. A team led by the inspector-in-charge of Patna police station, Kiran Prasad Sahu, arrived at the scene persuaded Jeetu to take the remains back to his village, assuring him that the required documentation will be arranged to enable withdrawal of the money from his sister’s account. Following the assurances, Jeetu returned to Dianali village and buried his sister’s remains at the same location, the police officer added. In a statement, the Indian Overseas Bank said it followed due process for settlement of deceased accounts and denied demanding the physical presence of the account holder. “The incident appears to have arisen due to a lack of awareness of the claim settlement process and the individual’s unwillingness to accept the procedures explained by the Branch Manager. Bank’s intention was to protect the interest of the poor tribal women monies in the account. There is no case of any harassment. The bank is also in continuous coordination with local authorities for issuance of the death certificate. The claim will be settled on priority once the death certificate is submitted,” IOB said in a statement. Meanwhile, the Indian Red Cross Society has provided ₹20,000 to support funeral expenses of Munda’s sister.