A 52-year-old tribal man brought his sister’s skeleton to a bank in Odisha’s Keonjhar district to withdraw money deposited in her name, triggering outrage in the state and raising questions over rural banking practices.
The incident occurred on Monday at the Mallipashi branch of Odisha Gramya Bank in Patna block, a tribal-dominated area and the home district of Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi.
On Tuesday, the BJD took up the matter with Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, terming it “not merely a banking issue but a humanitarian issue” and seeking reforms in rural banking procedures.
The man, identified as Jeetu Munda of Diananali village, had been trying to withdraw ₹19,300 from the account of his elder sister, Kalra Munda, who died on January 26 after a prolonged illness. As the issue escalated into a controversy, the district administration intervened on Tuesday, resolved the legal issues and handed over ₹19,402 to Jeetu. He also received ₹30,000 from the Red Cross fund.
Patna block development officer Manas Dandpat said Kalra’s husband and child had died in Jajpur district, after which she lived with her brother Jeetu for nearly three decades.
Sources said Kalra had deposited ₹19,300 in the bank after selling an ox shortly before her death.
Jeetu claimed he was her legal heir and sought to withdraw the money, but bank officials refused, citing lack of proof that his sister was dead.
Frustrated, Jeetu exhumed his sister’s remains from her grave and carried the skeleton in a sack to the bank, some 3km from his village, to prove her death. It is common practice among tribals in the area to bury their dead.
“I kept going to the bank, but they asked me to bring my sister. I told them she died, but they did not listen. I had no option left,” Jeetu told reporters.
Sources said that when Jeetu went to the bank on Monday and was again denied the money, he returned to his village, dug up his sister’s grave and brought the skeletal remains to the bank.
The sight shocked bank employees. Police were informed.
Patna police station inspector-in-charge Kiran Prasad Sahu said bank officials should have explained procedures properly to Jeetu. “Being illiterate, he had no idea about nominee requirements,” he said.
Chief minister Majhi has ordered the revenue divisional commissioner (northern division) to probe into
the incident.