Keonjhar

Preliminary findings in the Odisha government’s inquiry into the shocking Keonjhar incident—where a tribal man carried his sister’s skeleton to a bank to prove her death—suggest that bank staff failed to assist him properly, a senior official said on Thursday.

The probe was launched on the direction of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi after a video of the incident at the Maliposi branch of Odisha Grameen Bank went viral, triggering widespread outrage.

Revenue Divisional Commissioner (Northern Division) Sangram Keshari Mohapatra, along with Keonjhar District Collector Vishal Singh and other officials, visited the bank branch as part of the investigation. They reviewed CCTV footage and questioned staff to understand the circumstances that led to the incident.

The inquiry team also travelled to Dianali village in Patana block to speak with Jeetu Munda, who had brought the skeletal remains of his sister, Karla Munda, to the bank in an attempt to withdraw funds from her account.

Mohapatra said initial findings point to lapses on the part of the bank. He noted that Munda and his sister had previously visited the branch and carried out transactions, indicating some familiarity with banking. However, he added that while Munda is not illiterate, he lacks awareness of formal procedures.

He further explained that the absence of audio in the CCTV footage makes it difficult to determine exactly what transpired between the customer and bank officials. Records show that Munda remained inside the branch for over 30 minutes and met the manager twice before leaving distressed.

Earlier, the Indian Overseas Bank (IOB), which sponsors Odisha Grameen Bank, had stated that the situation may have arisen due to a lack of understanding of claim settlement procedures, along with the individual’s reluctance to follow the process explained by the branch manager.

Meanwhile, political reactions have intensified. A Congress delegation led by Niranjan Patnaik met Munda, while state Congress chief Bhakta Charan Das demanded financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh for the family.

A fact-finding team from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) also visited Munda’s residence and called for a judicial inquiry into the matter.

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The state government has provided immediate relief of Rs 30,000 to Munda. Officials added that he has now been able to access the funds from his late sister’s bank account.