An Indian man, Jeetu Munda, caused a stir after presenting his sister’s skeleton at a bank in the Asian country as proof of ownership to recover her Rs 19,300 ($206) savings.

Reports noted that the incident occurred on Monday in Keonjhar, a district in Odisha. Mr Munda had gone to one of the branches of Odisha Grameen Bank in the area with the skeletal remains of his sister Kalra Munda as evidence of her passing. 

According to The Hindu, the decision by the 50-year-old to take the step followed failed efforts to claim the money belonging to Ms Munda after she died months ago after an illness.

Without document backing legal heir, the bank authorities reportedly insisted that the original owner of the account must be present before any withdrawal could be initiated, prompting Mr Munda to exhume her sister’s body. 

The NDTV reported that Mr Munda placed the remains in a sack, walked three kilometres under scorching sun and carried his sister’s body on his shoulder and headed to the bank. 

However, on getting to the bank, the workers immediately alerted police officers, who after investigation, noted that illiteracy and failure of the bank to properly explain the process to withdraw the deposit to Mr Munda were rresponsible for the situation. 

“When the bank official could not give him his sister’s deposit money he brought the skeleton to show them as proof that she was dead,” Mr Munda said. 

Authorities later reassured Mr Munda that they would assist him in getting necessary documents, including his sister’s death certificate to facilitate the withdrawal.

“Police convinced him about the matter and told him to collect the death certificate. Later he returned with the bag containing his sister’s remains. 

“He is innocent and could not understand about the death certificate to be deposited in the bank to get back his sister’s deposited money from the bank,” officials from the Patna police station stated.

The Assam Tribune reported that Ms Munda’s remains were later reburied in the presence of police officers, adding that Mr Munda became the deceased’s sole surviving relative after her husband and children died earlier.