A tribal man's alleged act of carrying his sister's exhumed skeleton to a rural bank in Odisha's Keonjhar district to claim her savings has triggered a political and administrative row. The video of the man, identified as Jeetu Munda, walking into the Maliposi branch of Odisha Grameen Bank with skeletal remains on Monday went viral on social media, sparking outrage and questions over the handling of the claim process.
Bank's Response
A day later, the bank issued a detailed statement rejecting claims that staff had asked for such proof of death. "We would like to submit that, today the Government Authorities have issued the Death Certificate and Legal Heir Certificate. Immediately on receipt of these documents, Bank has settled the claim amount of Rs 19,402 in the name of three legal heirs and money handed over to them, in accordance with established norms. The reports circulating on various social media platforms alleging that Mr Jitu Munda carried the mortal remains of his sister to a bank branch for withdrawal from her account, purportedly due to a demand by bank officials for the physical presence of the deceased for claim settlement are incorrect and not based on facts. We have already issued a clarification note in our social media platform clarifying the facts that the individual was at inebriated state and incident has happened 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. Our sponsored Regional Rural Bank, Odisha Grameen Bank remain dedicated to serving customers with responsibility, transparency, and care."
Government Intervention
Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi ordered an inquiry into the incident, directing the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (Northern Division) to probe the circumstances. "The inquiry will begin from Wednesday to ascertain the circumstances leading to the incident, and how to prevent such episodes in future," a CMO official said. "Majhi expressed grief over the incident and advised officials to be more sensitive towards people," a statement issued by the CMO said. The government also said the matter had been resolved after intervention. "The distressed tribal man was provided a financial assistance of Rs 30,000 from the District Red Cross Fund, the death certificate of his sister and the inheritance certificate," the statement added. Officials further confirmed that Jeetu Munda's sister, Karla Munda (56), had died and the pending dues in her account had now been released to the legal heirs after submission of the required documents.
