A shocking incident in Odisha, India, has gone viral after a man reportedly dug up his sister’s grave and brought her body to a bank, claiming officials refused to release money without the account holder present.
According to 8TV News, the 50-year-old man, identified as Jitumuda, had reportedly made multiple trips to a bank branch in Patana to withdraw 20,000 rupees (approx. RM823) from his late sister’s account.
Bank didn’t believe him
His 56-year-old sister, Kara, had passed away on Jan 26, and the money in her account was said to be from the sale of livestock.
However, according to the man, bank staff allegedly refused his request and insisted that the account holder must be present in order to process the withdrawal.
I’ve gone to the bank many times, but they kept asking me to bring the account holder. I told them my sister has passed away, but they didn’t believe me,” he said.
Frustrated by the repeated rejections, the man reportedly exhumed his sister’s body and carried it to the bank branch, causing alarm among staff and customers.
The situation quickly escalated and drew the attention of local authorities, with police arriving at the scene shortly after.
Misunderstanding of procedures, say police
According to local police chief Chiran, the man is illiterate and was unaware of the proper procedures required to withdraw money from a deceased person’s account.
He added that the bank also failed to clearly explain the process, including identifying the legal heir or nominee needed to access the funds.
Police later stepped in to assist with the necessary paperwork to facilitate the withdrawal and the body was subsequently reburied under the supervision of authorities.
Bank denies claim
In response, the bank issued a statement denying that it had ever asked for the deceased account holder to be physically present.
It clarified that the incident was due to a misunderstanding regarding withdrawal procedures.
The bank also noted that the man appeared to be emotionally distressed at the time, and while bringing the body to the bank caused public disruption, no violence or unrest occurred.
Authorities are now working with the bank to obtain the necessary death certificate so that the funds can be released to the rightful claimant.
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