Bank asked for death proof — what this man did next stunned India

New Delhi: In a shocking incident highlighting bureaucratic hurdles in rural India, a man in the eastern state of Odisha allegedly exhumed his sister’s body and carried her remains to a bank branch after being denied access to her account without a death certificate.

Jitu Munda, who belongs to a constitutionally recognised tribal community, had visited an Indian Overseas Bank branch on Monday seeking to withdraw money from his deceased sister’s account.

Bank officials, however, refused the request, citing regulations that prohibit third-party withdrawals without proper authorisation and official documentation, including a death certificate.

Hours later, Munda returned carrying what the bank described as the “human remains” of his sister, who had reportedly been buried only days earlier.

According to AFP, television footage broadcast across India showed Munda carrying what appeared to be a partially wrapped corpse over his shoulder, with skeletal legs visible — scenes that quickly sparked outrage and disbelief on social media.

The bank said the incident created a “highly distressing situation” at the branch and attributed it to a lack of awareness about claim settlement procedures.

“The claim will be settled on priority once the death certificate is submitted,” the lender said in a statement.

The disturbing episode has drawn attention to persistent documentation gaps in rural India, where registering births and deaths is legally mandatory but access to official certification remains uneven — often leaving grieving families trapped in red tape when trying to access savings, pensions or welfare benefits.