Malda, Feb. 3: A 66-year-old tribal woman, branded a witch, has been hacked to death in a Gajole village, allegedly by her stepsons and neighbours.

The body was recovered from the courtyard of her house last night.

Raimat Tudu was killed at Barobari village in the Gajole police station area on Friday night. Police have learnt that her two stepsons were involved in the incident.

Both of them are absconding.

The woman, who had a son and a daughter of her own, possessed a three-bigha land and a house on a two-cottah plot.

Lakshmiram Kishku, the woman’s son, said: “I was at my father-in-law’s place. Had I been here, such a thing would not have taken place. The moment I learnt about it yesterday, I rushed back and informed the police.”

During investigation, the police learnt from the village women that quite a few people had recently died in Barobari of some disease. The village elders had contacted a witch doctor in Bihar who held Raimat’s “evil spirit” responsible for the deaths.

Raimat had been called a witch five years earlier as well. Other villagers had been boycotting her for the last five years.

A salishi sabha was held in the village on Friday and a unanimous decision was taken to kill Raimat. The villagers raided her house on Friday night and hacked her to death. Her body bore numerous marks of injury.

The police, however, are also looking at other angles.

“There is strong reason to believe that the villagers and her two stepsons had been eyeing her property,” said additional district superintendent of police Sujit Sarkar.

A deputy superintendent of police is in charge of the case, Sarkar added.

The officer said the news had reached the local police station more than 24 hours after the incident.