Man dug up sister's body and carried her to bank to prove that she'd died
Thomas Bamford
Featured Image Credit: BBC News Hindi
A 52-year-old man from Eastern India has raised many eyebrows for how he tried to prove to a bank that his sister had died.
Jitu Munda, who is from a tribal community in the state of Odisha, went to huge lengths to prove that his sister, Kalara Munda, had passed away.
Jitu was unable to provide a death certificate that would mean he would be able to claim the funds his sister had left behind, so he took extreme measures to show 'proof'.
He dug up his sister's remains and then brought her body to the bank.
Speaking to the BBC, Jitu said: “I was asked to prove whether my sister was alive or dead.
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"Since I had no papers, I brought her remains to show that she was dead.
"When the bank manager refused to listen and kept asking for proof, I got frustrated.
"I brought the skeleton to show that she had died."
There is a viral video circulating showing Jitu carrying a bunch of remains wrapped in a sack to the bank before placing it outside the building's entrance.
The bank were quick to respond to Jitu's claims in a statement posted on social media.
They claimed the allegations that Jitu was asked to bring 'the physical presence' of the deceased were 'incorrect' and 'not based on facts'.
The organization said the incident occurred because of 'lack of awareness of the claim settlement process' and the person’s 'unwillingness' to comply with procedures explained to him by the branch manager, which included showing official documents like a death certificate.
The bank also claimed the man arrived at the bank in an 'inebriated condition' to claim his sister's money.
When the bank turned him away, they claimed he went back and exhumed the remains of his sister, before returning to the bank.
Bank officials added that this created a 'highly distressing' situation, with the police shortly arriving afterwards.
Branch manager Sushant Kumar Sethi told BBC that Jita had initially said his sister was paralysed and unable to visit the bank, and that staff had offered to visit her at home. He later claimed she had died.
Sushant also disputed other parts of Munda's account, saying he had not visited the branch in the past two months and that other legal heirs had come forward to claim the money, prompting officials to request the required documents.
Earlier this week government officials finally issued the required death and legal heir certificate so that Jitu could reclaim the funds, reported to be 19,402 rupees (Roughly $200 USD).
In India if a bank member dies without naming a nominee, members of the family must present official documentation for funds to be release. This can often take a long time, especially in remote areas.
Officials later spoke to Jitu to encourage him to re-bury his sister's remains. He has been offered 30,000 rupees (approximately $316 USD).