Odisha skeleton row: Jeetu Munda forgives banks officials, says don't want action against them

"I have received around Rs 15 lakh from different people for carrying her skeletal remains," Munda said.

Bhubaneswar/Keonjhar: Jeetu Munda, who carried the skeleton remains of his sister to a rural bank in Odisha's Keonjhar district as proof of her death to withdraw money from her account, on Sunday, said he does not want any action against bank officials who allegedly harassed him.

Munda (50), a native of Dianali village under Erendei gram panchayat in Patana block in Keonjhar district, said, "I have received money deposited in the name of my sister after carrying her skeleton remains to the bank. They (bank) have got the proof of my sister's death and released the money immediately. It is a fact that they harassed me. But I do not want any action against them after receiving money. They delivered cash to me at our home."

"What is the point of taking action against officials after getting money," he said, adding that he was not ashamed of the entire episode.

"Had I not brought the skeleton remains to the bank, they would not have given our family's money deposited in the name of my sister, who is dead. I have not done anything wrong," he said.

Jeetu, who is a bachelor and stayed with his 56-year-old widowed sister, who died on January 26, 2026, claimed that he did not have any remorse over digging the skeleton out of the graveyard.

"Now people say that it was a mistake to dig out the remains of a dead person. But I had no alternative but to do so as bank officials wanted the thumb impression of my sister, who had died three months ago," Jeetu, belonging to the Munda tribe, said.

The tribal man had exhumed the skeletal remains of his sister Kalra Munda (56), who died in January. He then walked around 3 km to the Maliposi branch of the Odisha Grameen Bank and produced it before the official as proof of her death. A video of Munda carrying the skeleton has gone viral on social media.

Jeetu said that he was emotionally attached to his elder sister, Kalra Munda, and both of them stayed at one home while his elder brother Raibu Munda (now dead) and younger brother Shankar Munda lived separately in the village.

"I was cooking and feeding my elder sister when she was bedridden. Her death was a great blow to me. But she has blessed me. I have received around Rs 15 lakh from different people for carrying her skeletal remains," Jeetu told a group of journalists who visited his village on Sunday.

Kalra Munda had deposited Rs 19,300 at the Maliposi branch of Odisha Grameen Bank by selling the family's oxen.

"She had married Tadia Munda of Rameikhamar village (Gandia Tahasil) in Dhenkanal district. After the death of her husband, she shifted back to her paternal native place at Dianali village, 40 years ago, along with her child. Her child also died after some time. Since then, she was living with her brother Jeetu Munda," the official said.

Asked about the money received from his sister's bank account, Jeetu Munda said that the amount of Rs 19,402 (including interest) was divided into three parts. Jeetu got one portion, his elder brother's widow received another portion, and his younger brother Shankar Munda also got an equal share.

"However, money received from the government and other donations is deposited in my account at a bank in Patana," Jeetu said.

Jeetu said he has so far spent Rs 20,000 on the preparation to hold a community feast to be given to villagers on May 6. "Though we had performed my sister's last rites after her death in January, now we have to do it again because her skeleton was dug from the grave according to Munda tribe tradition," Jeetu said.

Apart from being included in the state government's social security schemes, Jeetu Munda has received money from different sources. While Physics Wallah donated the highest amount of Rs 10 lakh to Jeetu Munda, he also received Rs 1 from Thaagam Foundation, Rs 50,000 from Khidmat Foundation and Rs 50,000 from AAP MLA Sanjay Singh, and others donated Rs 95,000.

The Keonjhar District Red Cross Society donated Rs 30,000, local Patana MLA gave Rs 10,000, Keonjhar MP Rs 5,000, Keonjhar district BJD Rs 20,000, Odisha Congress Rs 24,000 and Youth Congress Rs 50,000.

Though Jeetu Munda has forgiven the "erring" bank officials, the state government's administrative inquiry into the matter is underway.

Odisha Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari held the bank officials responsible for the entire skeleton episode. "The state government will recommend action against the bank officials," Pujari said.