Bhubaneswar, April 29: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken cognizance of a shocking incident in Odisha’s Keonjhar district, where a tribal man brought his sister’s skeleton to a bank in an attempt to withdraw money. Following a petition filed by prominent human rights activist Manoj Jena on April 28, the NHRC has directed the Keonjhar Collector and the Superintendent of Police (SP) to initiate an investigation into the matter.
The NHRC has instructed the Collector and SP to submit an Action Taken Report (ATR) within one week of completing the investigation. Additionally, the commission has also directed the Chairman of the Odisha Gramya Bank to present a separate ATR on the issue within seven days.
According to Jena, a 42-year-old tribal man named Jitu Munda from the Diyanali village in the Patna police station area attempted to withdraw money from his deceased sister Kalara Munda’s account at the Mallipashi branch of the Odisha Gramya Bank on April 27. Kalara had recently passed away and had no legal heirs.
Jena alleged that bank officials denied the request, stating that the account holder’s ‘physical presence’ was required. Distressed, Jitu Munda exhumed his sister’s remains from the grave and carried them on his shoulder to the bank.
The human rights activist demanded immediate action against the gross violation of human rights and administrative insensitivity. The NHRC found that the alleged facts indicated a serious violation of Jitu Munda’s human rights, causing him immense mental and emotional distress. The commission also noted that the actions of the bank officials disrespected the rights of the deceased.
The NHRC emphasized that this incident undermines the fundamental right to live with dignity and hampers ongoing efforts to integrate tribal communities into mainstream banking services. The commission stated, “The NHRC takes this matter seriously and directs the District Magistrate and SP of Keonjhar to investigate and submit a prompt report within a week. The Chairman of Odisha Gramya Bank, Bhubaneswar, is also instructed to take appropriate action and submit an ATR to the commission within a week.”