A villager in India carried his sister’s corpse to a bank after digging up her remains to prove she had died, having been repeatedly told he could not withdraw money without her being present.

The incident took place at the Maliposi branch of the Odisha Grameen Bank in the Keonjhar district, in the eastern Indian state of Odisha. 

Television networks broadcast footage of the man carrying what appeared to be a corpse partially wrapped in plastic, with skeletal legs visible and slung over his shoulder.

‘This created a highly distressing situation at the premises,’ the bank said.

The man, identified as Jeetu Munda, had been trying for weeks to access around INR 19,300 (£151) from the account of his elder sister, Kalra Munda, who died in January after an illness.

He said he was repeatedly told to bring the account holder in person, even after explaining she had died. 

According to reports, Jeetu was told by bank staff that he needed to produce official documents, such as a death certificate, before any money could be released.

However, he allegedly struggled to understand the process and failed to provide the required paperwork. 

A villager in India carried his sister’s corpse to a bank after digging up her remains to prove she had died, having been repeatedly told he could not withdraw money without her being present

Television networks broadcast footage of Munda carrying what appeared to be a corpse partially wrapped in plastic, with skeletal legs visible and slung over his shoulder

In frustration, he went to the village burial ground on Monday, 27 April, exhumed his sister’s remains, wrapped the corpse in cloth, and walked around 3 kilometres (1.8 miles) to the bank. 

Once there, he placed the remains outside the branch, causing shock among staff and customers and prompting police to be called. 

Officers from the Patana Police Station quickly arrived at the scene.

Police said Jeetu, a poor tribal villager from Dianali, did not understand banking rules or the legal process for claiming money from a deceased relative’s account.

One officer said: ‘He is an illiterate tribal man and does not know about legal heir or nominee procedures,’ adding that bank officials had failed to properly explain the steps required. 

The bank has since disputed accounts of the incident, insisting staff did not ask for the physical presence of the deceased.

In a statement, Odisha Grameen Bank said Jeetu had been told to provide documents such as a death certificate in line with standard procedure.

Officials also claimed he was in an inebriated state and became disruptive before returning with human remains, describing the episode as the result of a lack of awareness and refusal to follow the process.

The bank added that the claim has now been settled after authorities issued the required documents, with the funds released to the legal heirs.

Jeetu Munda told local reporters: ‘Out of frustration, I dug the grave and brought her remains as proof of death.’

Officials later intervened and assured Jeetu that the issue would be resolved and the funds released through legal channels. 

The remains were subsequently reburied with police supervision.

Registration of births and deaths is mandatory in India, but gaps in documentation persist, particularly in rural areas, leaving many families without formal certificates.