VIDEO: Indian man digs up sister’s skeleton to claim savings

In a bizarre turn of events in the Keonjhar district of Odisha, India, an elderly man resorted to an extreme measure to prove his sister's death to bank officials: he dug up her skeleton. Jitu Munda of Dianali village approached the Maliposi branch of Odisha Grameen Bank to withdraw about Rs 20,000 from his elder sister Kalara Munda's account. Kalara had passed away on January 26, but bank procedures required proof of death, which Munda struggled to provide.

Munda explained his frustration, stating that repeated visits to the bank were fruitless. "I told them she had died, but they did not listen. They kept saying, bring the account holder to withdraw the money. Out of frustration, I dug the grave and brought her skeleton as proof that she is no more," he recounted. This shocking act understandably stunned bank employees and customers alike, leading to police intervention.

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I told them she had died, but they did not listen. They kept saying, bring the account holder to withdraw the money. Out of frustration, I dug the grave and brought her skeleton as proof that she is no more.

Police official Kiran Prasad Sahu highlighted the situation as a "communication gap," noting that Munda, being illiterate, did not understand concepts like legal heir or nominee. He also pointed out the bank officials' failure to adequately explain the procedures for withdrawing funds from a deceased person's account. The situation was further complicated by the prior death of the account's nominee, leaving Munda as the sole claimant. Following the police's involvement, bank officials assured Munda that the process would be facilitated according to due procedures. The remains were respectfully reburied, and authorities are now working to help Munda secure the necessary legal heir certificate to access the funds, underscoring a breakdown in communication and understanding between the bank and a vulnerable customer.

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Jeetu is an illiterate tribal man. He does not understand what a legal heir or nominee means. The bank officials failed to make him understand the procedure to withdraw money from a deceased person’s account.