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CACLUTTA, Friday (AFP) Five Indian tribal women suspected of being witches were beaten to death by a village mob in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal, a senior police official said Thursday.

Police superintendent Siddhnath Gupta told AFP the incident took place on Monday at Kilkat tea garden inside Duars forest in the foothills of Himalayas, about 600 kilometres (375 miles) from the West Bengal state capital Calcutta.

"Police raided the village on Wednesday after two bodies were found floating in the river Murti that flows beside the village," he said.

The five women's ages were between 45 to 55 years.

The village people suspected them of practising witchcraft after a car driver at the tea garden, Bandhay Oran, died of an unknown disease, Gupta said.

"The village jury called a meeting on Tuesday and ordered the five women to be killed as they pronounced them guilty of practising witchcraft," he added.

Locals said the women were beaten to death in front of a cheering crowd in the village, Gupta.

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