Another Odisha-type incident has been reported from a bank in Jharkhand. A tribal man’s death in Jharkhand’s Garhwa district has sparked a protest after his family alleged that he could not withdraw money from his bank account in Jharkhand Gramin Bank account. The man has been identified as Ratan Lakra.
The family members and local villagers reached the bank on Monday with the body of Ratan Lakra and staged a sit-in protest. They accused the bank of negligence and alleged that repeated delays on the part of the bank led to his death.
Money Was in Bank Account, Family Alleges Delay Due to e-KYC
According to Ratan Lakra’s family, money was available in his bank account, but they were allegedly unable to withdraw it because the bank e-KYC process had not been completed.
The family claimed that Lakra was seriously ill and needed money for medical treatment. However, they alleged that the bank manager made them visit the branch repeatedly for nearly three months to complete the e-KYC formalities.
When the victim did not get any help from the branch authorities, they approached the regional manager. They further claimed that, following instructions from the regional manager, the seriously ill Ratan Lakra was eventually brought to the bank for e-KYC verification.
According to the relatives, Lakra was in a critical condition at the time and had to be taken to the bank so that the required verification process could be completed. The family alleged that even after the e-KYC was completed, they continued to face difficulties in withdrawing money from the account.
‘We Kept Running From Pillar to Post,’ Says Family Member
Phoolmani Toppo, Lakra’s daughter-in-law, alleged that the family repeatedly approached the bank but could not get the money.
“We kept running from pillar to post. Even after the e-KYC was completed, we were not given the money. Today he has died because he could not get treatment,” she said.
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The family has alleged bank negligence and delay in e-KYC and cash withdrawal, claiming that timely access to the money could have saved his life.
Jharkhand Gramin Bank Officials Deny Withholding Money
Bank officials, however, denied the allegations made by the family. Vikas Kumar, a cashier at Jharkhand Gramin Bank, said that Lakra’s e-KYC had been completed, but claimed that no family member later visited the bank to withdraw the money.
“The e-KYC had been completed, but after that no family member came to the bank to withdraw the money. That is why no amount was withdrawn. Today, after his death, they have come to the bank with the body,” Vikas Kumar said.
The bank said that the money was still available in Ratan Lakra’s bank account and denied allegations that the funds had been withheld.
Odisha incident
This incident is similar to the incident that took place in Odisha. A 50-year-old man named Jeetu Munda had brought the skeleton of his sister to Odisha Grameen Bank Maliposi branch to withdraw the money from her account.
The tribal man wanted to withdraw ₹20,000 from the bank account of his elder sister, Kalra Munda, who died on January 26. Bank Employees asked him to submit details of the legal heir and/or nominee. The tribal man could not understand this and brought the dead body to the bank.
The incident gained nationwide attention, and several people donated money to Jeetu Munda. After this incident, several such incidents have been reported in various banks across the country.
