A tribal man in eastern India exhumed his deceased sister’s body and brought it to a bank branch after staff refused to let him withdraw money from her account without a death certificate, the financial institution confirmed Tuesday.
Indian Overseas Bank said Jitu Munda, a member of a constitutionally recognized tribal community in Odisha state, arrived at one of its branches Monday seeking to access funds from his late sister’s account. Staff turned him away, citing policy that prohibits third-party withdrawals without proper authorization.
Munda returned shortly after — this time carrying what the bank described as “human remains.” His sister had been buried just days before. Television footage showed him with what appeared to be a partially plastic-wrapped body over his shoulder, skeletal legs visible.
“This created a highly distressing situation at the premises,” the bank said in a statement.
The lender attributed the incident to a “lack of awareness” and said Munda had been unwilling to follow established procedures. It added that the claim would be “settled on priority, once the death certificate is submitted.”
While birth and death registration is legally mandatory across India, documentation gaps remain widespread in rural and tribal communities, leaving many families without the certificates needed to navigate formal institutions.
