Indian man digs up sister's skeleton, takes it to bank to get Rs 19,300

In a shocking incident in India’s Odisha, a man carried his deceased sister’s skeletal remains to a bank in a desperate attempt to get money left in her account.

The incident took place in Keonjhar district, where Jitu Munda walked nearly three kilometres under intense heat with the remains of his sister, Kakra Munda, on his shoulder. She had passed away two months earlier. With her husband and child already deceased, Jitu was her only surviving relative.

Kakra held an account at Odisha Gramin Bank, which had a remaining balance of Rs19,300. When Jitu first approached the bank to withdraw the amount, officials declined his request, stating that either the account holder must be present or he needed to provide legal heir documentation.

Uneducated and unfamiliar with legal procedures, Jitu did not have a death certificate or succession papers. Unable to meet the requirements, he returned without the money.

On Monday, in a distressing move, he went to the village cremation site, exhumed his sister’s remains, wrapped them in cloth, and carried them to the bank, hoping it would convince officials.

Police later arrived after being informed of the situation. Officers calmed Jitu and took control of the matter, saying the case would be dealt with on humanitarian grounds. Authorities have also sought an explanation from the bank over its handling of the situation.