BHUBANESWAR/KEONJHAR : Three days after Jitu Munda’s ‘proof of death’ walk carrying his sister’s skeletal remains on his shoulders shocked the country, a probe by the revenue divisional commissioner (RDC) has put the blame on the Odisha Gramya Bank authorities for the incident.
RDC (northern division) Sangram Keshari Mohapatra, who is leading the probe, said preliminary findings pointed to negligence by the bank officials. He said CCTV footage showed that Jitu entered the branch of the Odisha Gramya Bank at Malliposhi in Patna block of Keonjhar district at 11:26 am and left at 11:58 am on the day.
“During those 32 minutes, Jitu approached bank staff four times before the branch manager finally turned him away. Since the CCTV has no audio, we don’t know what was said. But it is clear the bank sent him back. Upset, he later exhumed his sister’s remains and brought them to the bank. This incident is extremely shameful,” Mohapatra added.
He said the bank officials knew both Jitu and his deceased sister Kalara. The siblings had withdrawn money from the same branch eight times in the past, and Jitu was familiar with banking procedures. “The last time they withdrew `500 was on December 26, 2025,” Mohapatra said adding, the negligence lies with the bank authorities and strict action will certainly be taken.
The RDC also questioned the three-month delay in issuance of the death certificate. The probe revealed that Kalara’s death was registered on February 24. It was also recorded that she was admitted in Patna primary health centre. “Why should there be so much delay in issuing the certificate,” he said, adding it will also be probed.
The RDC maintained that the bank authorities should have issued an ATM card to Munda. “If he had an ATM card, he would not have come to the branch to withdraw money,” Mohapatra said. He also said it was a mistake on the part of the police to not have transported the skeletal remains of Kalara in an official vehicle after being informed of the situation.
Mohapatra, along with Keonjhar collector Vishal Singh and sub-collector Umashankar Dalei visited the bank branch for the investigation.
Jitu who belongs to Dianali village under Erendei panchayat had lost his elder sister Kalara (56) to a stomach ailment. Around `20,000 from the sale of her cattle was deposited in her account at the Malliposhi branch of the bank.
On Monday morning, he showed up at the bank branch to withdraw cash from his sister’s account. Asked to furnish proof of Kalara’s death, he returned, exhumed his sibling’s bodily remains and walked 4 km back to the bank carrying it on his shoulders.
