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Five women accused of witchcraft beaten to death in India

Kinjia village residents drag five women from homes and attack them, police say

Indian police speak to villagers after five women were killed after being accused of practising witchcraft in Kanjia village in eastern Jharkhand state, India, on August 8th, 2015. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images
Indian police speak to villagers after five women were killed after being accused of practising witchcraft in Kanjia village in eastern Jharkhand state, India, on August 8th, 2015. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images
Sat Aug 08 2015 - 16:46

Five women accused of practising witchcraft have been beaten to death in a village in India's eastern state of Jharkhand.

Police official Arun Kumar Singh said residents of Kinjia village dragged the women out of their homes early on Saturday and beat them with sticks and iron rods.

Mr Singh said the attackers blamed the women for several incidents and misfortunes suffered by villagers, including the death of an infant in Kinjia earlier in the week.

Superstitious beliefs persist in many parts of Jharkhand and have been behind similar attacks on women in the state.

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Kinjia is about 25 miles west of the state capital, Ranchi.

Press Association