KEONJHAR: Staff of the Odisha Gramya Bank at Mallipashi in Keonjhar district were in for a rude shock on Monday after a 42-year-old tribal man arrived at the branch with the exhumed remains of his dead sister to withdraw money deposited in her account.
Jeetu Munda, a resident of Dianali village under Patna police limits, carried the mummified remains of his sister Kala Munda on his shoulder and reached the bank’s Mallipashi branch at around 3 pm.
Sources said Kala had opened a savings account in Mallipashi branch and used to deposit money in it. She died two months ago at the age of 48. Family members performed the last rites and buried her near their house in Dianali village.
As Kala was unmarried and had no heirs, Jeetu went to the bank with his sister’s passbook and tried to withdraw the money from her account. He reportedly did not inform the bank authorities of Kala’s death. Jeetu went to the bank thrice but failed to get the money. One of the bank officials reportedly told him that he would be able to withdraw the money if he brought the account holder with him.
Jeetu went back to his village, exhumed his sister’s body, packed her remains in a plastic sack and carried it to the bank. On spotting the body on the bank’s verandah, the shocked branch manager immediately alerted the local police.
Subsequently, a team led by IIC of Patna police station Kiran Prasad Sahu reached the spot. Sahu along with bank officials tried to persuade Jeetu to take the body back to his village.
The tribal man was finally convinced after the officials assured him of arranging the necessary documents required to withdraw money from Kala’s bank account.
IIC Sahu said after getting the assurance, Jeetu took his sister’s body back to Dianali village and buried it at the same spot.