Munda said he visited the branch several times after her death but was unable to access the money.
“When the bank manager refused to listen and kept asking for proof, I got frustrated,” he said. “I brought the skeleton to show that she had died.”
The viral video shows him carrying a bundle of skeletal remains wrapped in a sack to the bank and placing it outside the building’s entrance. It’s not clear who shot the video.
After it sparked outrage, many people pointed out the bureaucratic hurdles involved in accessing someone’s funds after their death, particularly when they did not register a nominee who can claim it. Others highlighted the broader difficulties faced by rural families in navigating the banking system.
In India, if an account holder dies without naming a nominee, families must provide documents such as a death certificate and proof of legal heirship before funds can be released – a process that can take time, especially in remote villages where access to such paperwork is limited.
Following the backlash, Indian Overseas Bank, which operates the Odisha Grameen Bank where the incident took place, said reports that staff had asked for the physical presence of the deceased were “incorrect”.
It said Munda had been informed of the process but did not follow it. The bank also alleged he first arrived in an “inebriated state”, external and became disruptive, and later returned with the remains, describing the situation as “distressing”.
Branch manager Sushant Kumar Sethi told BBC Hindi that Munda had initially said his sister was paralysed and unable to visit the bank, and that staff had offered to visit her at home. He said Munda later claimed she died.
Sethi also disputed other parts of Munda’s account, saying he had not visited the branch in the past two months and that other legal heirs had come forward to claim the money, prompting officials to request the required documents.
Police and local officials later intervened, persuading Munda to return the remains to the burial ground and assuring him his request would be addressed. Officials have also offered him 30,000 rupees as assistance.
By Wednesday, officials had issued a death certificate and legal heir documents, and the bank said the money had been handed over to the woman’s family members.
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