Photos: Five women accused of witchcraft beaten to death in India

The residents of Kinjia village in the Jharkhand state had blamed 5 women for failing crops, bringing illness to the village and even for the recent death of a child through their witchcraft.

At around midnight on Friday August 7th, the women, aged between 45 and 50 were dragged from their homes and attacked with sticks and iron rods.

"It looks like the village held a grudge against these women for a very long time, holding them responsible for various misfortunes." Police spokesperson, Arun Kumar Singh told AFP.

Police has reportedly arrested up to 50 villagers over the killing shortly after the lynching.

Photo credit: AFP/Getty images