Cuttack, June 12: A 70-year-old woman was found dead today at her residence in Bhagatpur within Purighat police limits here with her hands and legs tied with a piece of cloth.

The body of Haramani Sahoo was discovered by one of her daughters, Gita, in the morning. Gita lives in the two-storey building adjoining Haramani's residence in the same complex with her husband Dilip Moharana and their children. Her younger brother Devesh stays in the same building, which was owned by Haramani.

Police suspect robbery as the motive behind the murder. However, her son has alleged property dispute as the motive. The murderers escaped with motorcycles parked on the premises of her house and gold and silver ornaments worth lakhs that were kept inside three cupboards in her room. Though there was no sign of forced entry, Haramani's body was found with blood all over her room, barely 100m from the main entrance of the single-storey house, the police said.

Haramani's body had injury marks near her nose and forehead. The cops suspect that she could have either been attacked or injured herself after falling from her bed as her hands and legs were tied.

According to police sources, Devesh, his wife and two children were not in their house when the incident took place. They had gone to Bargarh to attend a family wedding and returned to Cuttack today.

"There was a dispute between our family and my brother-in-law Dilip Moharana over property. We suspect that my mother was killed because of that," Devesh said.

Neighbours corroborated Devesh's statement and claimed that Haramani was against division of parental property, which could be a motive behind the murder.

"We suspect the involvement of people known to Haramani as she always checked through her window before opening the main entrance. The culprits also had information that she suffered from asthma, and so, they stuffed a piece of cloth inside her mouth," said Haramani's neighbour Bulu Das.

"My wife found my mother-in-law's body with her hands and legs tied in the room. She called me and we informed the police," said Dilip.

Senior police officials, including additional commissioner of police P.S. Ranpise and a forensic team conducted a detailed examination of the crime scene.

"We can't say the exact motive behind the murder. But prima facie it appears to be a case of robbery. We are probing into other aspects also," said additional deputy commissioner of police Sudharshan Sethi.

Maharani had four children - three daughters and a son. While two of daughters stay at Markatnagar and Kalyaninagar respectively.