Patna: Liquor bottles were recovered from the police van that crushed a pregnant woman to death at Gopalganj, around 200km northwest of Patna, on Friday morning.

The incident occurred when a patrolling party of four personnel from Mohammadpur police station hit Kiran Devi, 22, when she was crossing the road. Soon after the incident, irate residents of Mohammadpur village attacked the police team and kept them hostage.

When residents searched the patrolling van they found an empty bottle of liquor and one half-filled one. Residents also found a hen. The residents shouted slogans against the police and the state government and went on a rampage. The residents alleged that on one hand the police are enforcing prohibition by targeting villagers in the name of liquor trade, on the other hand, the police are consuming liquor openly.

Sources said the police had to face tough resistance from the residents when they went to rescue the personnel who were held hostage. The residents demanded compensation for the deceased's family members and action against the personnel.

The station house officer of Mohammadpur, however, said notorious elements had kept the liquor bottles in the van to defame the police.

SHO Vinay Pratap Singh said: "The incident occurred on Friday at 5am when the patrolling team was returning to the police station. After the incident a large number of residents assembled in the area. Someone kept the liquor bottles in the van." On why would residents do that, the SHO said: "They were instigated by influential people of the village and the local media."

Because of the protest National Highway-101 witnessed heavy jam for more than three hours. The Gopalganj administration had to press into service personnel from more than a dozen stations to lift the blockade.

RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav attacked the government on the incident through a tweet: "In Nitish Kumar's prohibition state, police are enforcing liquor prohibition but at the same time his own personnel are consuming liquor and chicken."