The bank, in a post on X, said the incident took place as the man, Jitu Munda from Keonjhar's Dianali village, was "unwilling" to accept procedures explained by the branch manager.New Delhi:

Two days after a video showing a man carrying his dead sister's skeletal remains on his shoulder to a bank in an attempt to retrieve over Rs 19,000 from her account went viral, the Odisha Grameen Bank branch said that he was "drunk" and lacked "awareness" of the settlement process.

The bank, in a post on X, said the incident took place as the man, Jitu Munda from Keonjhar's Dianali village, was "unwilling" to accept procedures explained by the branch manager.

"The reports circulating on various social media platforms alleging that Mr. Jitu Munda carried the mortal remains of his sister to a bank branch for withdrawal from her account, purportedly due to a demand by bank officials for the physical presence of the deceased for claim settlement, are incorrect and not based on facts," it said.

The bank has settled the claim amount of Rs 19,402 in the name of three legal heirs and issued a death certificate, it said.

"We would like to submit that, today, the Government Authorities have issued the Death Certificate and Legal Heir Certificate. Immediately on receipt of these documents, Bank has settled the claim amount of Rs 19,402 in the name of three legal heirs and money handed over to them, in accordance with established norms," the bank wrote in the post.

"Our sponsored Regional Rural Bank, Odisha Grameen Bank remain dedicated to serving customers with responsibility, transparency, and care," it added.

Jitu Munda's sister, Kakra Munda, held an account at Odisha Grameen Bank, Mallipasi. She died two months ago. Her husband and only child died earlier, leaving Jitu as her sole surviving relative. When Jitu approached the bank to withdraw the remaining balance from his sister's account, the bank manager refused, saying either the account holder must be present or he must furnish legal heir documents.

Jitu, a tribal man with no education, had no death certificate or succession papers and returned helpless after not being able to understand the complex process.

On Monday, he went to the village cremation ground, dug out his sister's remains, wrapped her skeleton in cloth, and walked nearly three kilometres to the bank in the scorching heat. The sight of Jitu carrying his dead sister left locals stunned - with villagers accusing the bank of "extreme insensitivity".

Locals said the bank could have verified with the Sarpanch or done a field visit, but paperwork won over compassion.

Cops soon reached the bank and assured Jitu that the case would be handled on humanitarian grounds. The remains were taken back to the graveyard and reburied.

The rural bank's sponsor, Indian Overseas Bank (IOB), had earlier clarified that the bank officials did not demand the physical presence of a dead customer for withdrawal. "They sought valid documents, including the death certificate," it said.