KEONJHAR, Odisha : An incident in Odisha’s Keonjhar district has sparked outrage after a tribal man reportedly exhumed his deceased sister’s skeleton and carried it to a bank in a desperate attempt to withdraw her savings of Rs 19,300.
The incident took place in Mallipasi village, where 42-year-old Jeetu Munda walked nearly three kilometres under the scorching sun with the skeletal remains of his sister, Kakra Munda, on his shoulder, hoping it would convince bank officials to release the money.
According to local reports, Kakra had suffered multiple personal tragedies before her death two months ago, having already lost her husband and only son. Jeetu, her only surviving close relative, had performed her last rites and later approached the bank several times to access the small amount she had left in her account.
However, officials at the Odisha Grameen Bank branch allegedly asked him to either bring the account holder in person or submit legal heir documents to process the withdrawal.
Unable to understand the legal procedure and believing the bank required his sister’s physical presence, Jeetu took the extreme step of digging up her remains and bringing them to the branch.
The disturbing incident has triggered widespread anger on social media, with many users criticising the lack of sensitivity and humanity in the system.
One user on X wrote, “This is heartbreaking and insane. A man was forced to dig up his dead sister just to prove she had died. Zero humanity in the system.”
Another commented, “Indian bureaucracy hitting new levels of cruelty. He had to carry his sister’s skeleton just to withdraw Rs 20,000.”
A third user wrote, “Humanity got buried long before that grave was opened.”
The incident has once again raised serious questions about bureaucratic apathy, financial literacy in rural areas, and the urgent need for compassionate handling of vulnerable citizens.
