‘Systemic failures’ made tribal man take his sister’s skeletal remains to bank, finds probe in Odisha

A preliminary inquiry by the Odisha government has indicated systemic failures behind the desperate and disturbing act of a tribal man who carried his sister’s skeletal remains to a bank in order to prove her death.

Asked by the bank to submit proof of his sister’s death to withdraw money from her account, Jitu Munda of Diananali village under Patna block in Keonjhar district had exhumed his sister’s body and carried the skeletal remains on his shoulder to the bank on Monday (April 27, 2026). Mr. Munda wanted to withdraw ₹19,300 that was in the account of Kalara Munda, who had died two months ago.