The residents of a small village in India have beheaded a family using machetes, after accusing them of causing the death of two tea garden workers by apparent witchcraft.

According to local police, the group of villagers beheaded the family in a public gathering to "appease the gods after a trial into the unexplained deaths of two plantation workers from a mysterious disease that also afflicted many others in the past two weeks."

The family included 60-year-old Amir Munda and four of his children. Police say Munda and the villagers are part of a tribe belonging to the Adivasi Santhal community, which believes in the powers of witchcraft, black magic and sorcery.

"A trial was held to prove if Munda and his family were involved in casting evil spells in the tea garden that led to a bout of epidemics in the area," police officer D Das tells reporters.

"They said the killings would appease the gods," Das adds.