Jitu Munda, a resident of Diananali village in Odisha's Keonjhar district, performed reburial rites and hosted a community feast on May 6, 2026, after exhuming his sister Kalara Munda's skeletal remains to meet a bank's demand for proof of death. The act, done on April 27, 2026, drew national attention and triggered immediate administrative action, including the issuance of a death certificate and release of ₹19,300 from the deceased's account within hours of the incident going public.

Tribal customs in the Ho community prohibit exhumation, and Munda said community leaders insisted on fresh last rites to prevent social boycott, including denial of water and exclusion from social events. A new memorial was constructed at the burial site, and a goat and three chickens were sacrificed during the feast, in line with traditional practices. Local officials, including the village sarpanch and Odisha Forest and Climate Change Minister Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia, attended the event.

Following the viral footage, Munda received over ₹10 lakh in donations, including ₹10 lakh from Physics Wallah founder Alakh Pandey, ₹50,000 from AAP MP Sanjay Singh, ₹1.45 lakh from Rajasthan Agriculture Minister Kirodi Lal Meena, and ₹50,000 from Khidmat Foundation. The district administration issued both death and legal heir certificates on April 28, 2026, enabling the bank withdrawal. Electricity was also connected to Munda's home, and local authorities oversaw the memorial construction.

The incident has spotlighted gaps in banking procedures for marginalized communities lacking access to documentation. The Keonjhar district administration has not announced any policy changes but confirmed it is reviewing banking coordination protocols for rural and tribal populations. The court will resume hearing on Tuesday.