Jakarta – An Indonesian mob rounded up three men and beat them to death after accusing one of them of murdering his wife with black magic. Kompas newspaper reported that the woman died earlier this month in Kedungsari village on the island of Sumatra.

Her husband said she had drunk poison accidentally. However, rumours spread that he and two accomplices had cast a deadly spell on her. The newspaper said about 100 people rounded up the three men on Saturday and killed them.

Indonesia has been hit by widespread civil unrest and lawlessness in recent years because of economic hardship, political turbulence and ethnic and religious tensions.