Bank responds after viral clip of Indian man holding his sister's skeletal remains to prove she's dead, take $200

ALBAWABA - A video went viral on social media showing a man from India carrying out the skeleton remains of his sister and taking them to the bank to prove she was dead.

A man named Jitu Munda from Keonjhar's Dianali village in Odisha dug his sister's grave and took her remains to the banks in an attempt to retrieve over Rs 19,000 ($200) from her account at the Odisha Grameen Bank branch.

A clip of the man holding the skeleton remains and walking down the streets until he reached the bank went viral and was watched by millions of people across the globe.

According to sources and news outlets, the man struggled to secure a death certificate for his sister, and he wanted to withdraw money from her bank account.

Bank responds after clip of Indian man holding his sister's skeletal remains:

The bank responded to the viral footage in a post on X, saying the incident took place as the man, Jitu Munda was "unwilling" to accept procedures explained by the branch manager.

The Odisha Grameen Bank branch further noted that the man was "drunk" and lacked "awareness" of the settlement process.

In a statement, the bank wrote two days after the incident, "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 added, "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."