The bank has clarified an incident that occurred at the Malliposi branch of Grameen Bank in Odisha, a subsidized regional rural bank, amid reports of misconduct by bank officials.
“Contrary to some media reports, bank officials did not require the deceased customer to be physically present to withdraw the money,” the statement said, adding that the procedure was carried out in accordance with bank regulations.
According to the bank, the man, Jitu Munda, had visited the branch seeking to withdraw funds from an account in the name of his sister, Kalara Munda. Officials told him that no third-party withdrawals were allowed without proper authorization. When he indicated that the account holder had died, the branch manager explained that the claim could only be settled by submitting valid documentation, including a death certificate.
The bank further said the man “was in a drunken state, became destructive and later returned with human remains that had been exhumed after being reportedly buried days earlier, placed them in front of the branch and claimed they were his sister while demanding withdrawals from her account”. The statement called the situation “extremely distressing” and said local police had been notified immediately.
The police rushed to the scene after receiving an alarm from bank staff. After discussions with police, the man removed the remains and reburied them.
In its assessment of the incident, the bank said it appeared to stem from a lack of awareness of the claims resolution process and the individual’s refusal to accept the process that was explained to him. It added that “there were no cases of harassment” and that the aim was to protect account holders’ funds.
“The bank is also continuing to coordinate with local authorities to issue death certificates. Once the death certificate is submitted, claims will be processed on a priority basis,” the statement said.
The incident, which took place at Mallipasi village within the limits of Patna police station in Keonjhar district at around 1 pm, briefly caused panic among bank staff and customers before the police intervened.