Keonjhar: Jitu Munda, the tribal man who recently drew national attention for carrying his sister’s skeletal remains to a bank to prove her death, on Wednesday underwent a traditional purification ritual and hosted a community feast in Keonjhar district.
Belonging to the Munda tribe, where burial is customary, exhuming human remains is considered a serious violation of social and religious norms. Community elders had directed Munda to perform purification rites or face social boycott after he dug out the remains of his sister.
Munda (50) had exhumed the skeleton of his sister, Kalra Munda (56), on April 27 and walked nearly three kilometres to the Maliposi branch of Odisha Grameen Bank. He presented the remains as proof of her death to withdraw Rs 19,402 from her account. The incident came to light after a video went viral, prompting a state-ordered inquiry.
Speaking after the ritual, Munda said he and his family had now been “purified” in accordance with community traditions. “Digging out the remains of a dead person is considered sacrilege in our community. We followed the instructions of our elders,” he said.
The purification ceremony was held at Dianali village under Patana block and was attended by Odisha Forest, Environment and Climate Change Minister Ganesh Ram Singhkhuntia, who also belongs to a tribal community. The minister provided clothes and other materials required for the rituals.
As part of the ceremony, Munda tonsured his head and participated in a puja conducted by a community priest. He also hosted a feast for around 25 families and other invitees, serving chicken and traditional rice beer, ‘handia’.
Meanwhile, Indian Overseas Bank, the sponsor of Odisha Grameen Bank, had earlier indicated that the incident may have stemmed from a lack of awareness about claim settlement procedures and the individual’s reluctance to follow the process explained by bank officials.
Despite the controversy, Munda said he does not wish for any action against the bank staff, even though he had initially alleged harassment.
