Shock in India after man takes remains of his sister to bank to prove her death | India
The image of a man bringing his dead sister’s remains to an Indian bank after authorities refused to allow him to withdraw money without proof of her death has shocked India.
Jitu Munda, 52, from the Indian state of Odisha, was caught on video carrying the remains of his recently deceased sister through the streets of Keonjhar and placing them outside the local bank.
Munda said he exhumed her remains out of frustration that bank officials would not allow her to withdraw the remaining money in her account without official proof of death.
The bank denied the request for the deceased to be physically present and said they only requested the legally necessary documents to prove his death.
Munda, who comes from a poor tribal community, said before his sister Kalara died a few months ago, she sold some of her animals, leaving her with a much-needed 19,300 rupees (£150) in her account. But as he repeatedly tried to get the money back after the woman’s death, authorities repeatedly refused and demanded a death certificate, which has not yet been issued.
“I was disappointed when the bank manager refused to listen and kept asking for evidence,” he told BBC Hindi. “I brought the skeleton to show that he was dead.”
The police reportedly intervened and encouraged Munda to return his sister’s body to the cemetery, assuring him that his complaint would be taken into consideration.
In India’s rural villages, it can often take weeks or even months for an official death certificate to be issued; This often becomes a source of bureaucratic trauma for the relatives left behind.
When the video of Munda carrying his sister’s body went viral in India, it sparked shock and outrage across the country; many called it “heartbreaking” and an example of the “lack of humanity” in the Indian bureaucracy, especially for marginalized tribal communities.
In a statement, Indian Overseas Bank disputed Munda’s account and said staff only followed standard procedures after other heirs also came forward to claim the woman’s savings. “The purpose of the bank was to protect the interests of the poor tribe. [woman’s] “There is money in the account,” they said in the statement, describing the situation as “an extremely sad situation at the facility.”
This week, officials confirmed that the death certificate had been issued and the money was given to relatives. A minister from the Odisha state government said the case was under investigation.
