The lender has clarified that it had only sought valid documents to withdraw the money of the deceased
An incident in India in which a man carried the skeleton of his sister to a bank as proof of death to withdraw her money has sparked outrage in the South Asian country.
Images of the incident on Monday in the eastern Indian state of Odisha have gone viral.
The state-owned parent bank of the lender has clarified that it had only sought valid documents to withdraw the money of the deceased, denying reports that the bank demanded the physical presence of the deceased.
The bank said it has settled the claim amount of $204 in the name of three legal heirs and has handed over the money to them.
Odisha Minister Suresh Pujari said there was a “lack of humanitarian approach,” adding that the government will ensure strict action against the officials involved.
Opposition parties slammed the incident as insensitive. An opposition lawmaker of the Upper House of Parliament, Manas Ranjan, has urged federal Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s urgent intervention in simplifying banking procedures, PTI reported.
Social media users were also quick to express outrage over the incident.
A heartbreaking story from Keonjhar has shaken Odisha.
Jeetu Munda, a poor villager from Mallipashi, lost his sister two months ago. ₹19,300 remained in her bank account. He reportedly made repeated visits to withdraw the money for urgent needs, but was told the account holder… pic.twitter.com/vDfCpBfKQg
— Satya Prakash Nayak (@SatyaPrNayak) April 27, 2026
A man in Odisha dug up his deceased sister’s grave and brought her skeleton to the bank Just to prove she had died.
He had been trying to withdraw ₹20,000 from her account, but bank officials kept insisting he bring the account holder in person. Despite repeatedly telling them… pic.twitter.com/hICEqwvPFu
— Woke Eminent (@WokePandemic) April 28, 2026
“When rules are bent for corruption, files move fast. But when the poor need dignity, compassion and common sense, the system becomes rigid,” a user posted on X.
“This is not just one man’s tragedy. It is a mirror to governance, banking accountability,” it said.
Another user pointed out that the incident took place in the home district of the top minister in the state. “This incident shows not just a lack of awareness, but also a failure of basic human understanding in the system,” another user posted.
April 29, 2026 at 02:02PM
RT