Three people, including two women, were killed, and two others injured as bikes they were riding on were hit by a speeding car at Chakulia in Ghatshila sub-division of the East Singhbhum district (about 90 kms from Jamshedpur) late on Monday afternoon.

The car, carrying illicit country-made liquor, was being chased by a raiding party jeep of the Excise department.

The victims were riding two motorcycles coming from opposite directions when they were hit by the car.

Soon after, local residents set up a blockade on a connecting road to NH-33, demanding the arrest of the illicit liquor trader. The blockade was lifted after the Chakulia OC Ranjit Oraon convinced protestors that the police would take up the matter with the Excise department.

So far, only one of the victims have been identified. Sunita Gope, wife of Jagat Gope, was a resident of Malkundi village in Chakulia. The police are trying to identify the two other bodies.

It was learnt that Jagat Gope was riding a bike with his wife Sunita and granddaughter as pillion riders from their home at Malkundi to a relative's house in Kolbadhia village at about 4.30 pm. Jagat and his granddaughter escaped miraculously with minor injuries whereas Sunita was killed on the spot.

"Preliminary investigation has revealed that a liquor-laden car started speeding after seeing an Excise department vehicle. Spotting the car, department officials also started chasing it for some distance, but in the process, the car hit two motorcycles, causing three people to die and two more, including a minor girl, to sustain injuries," Oraon told The Telegraph Online.

The OC said the driver of the car, identified as Nageswar Singh, abandoned the vehicle at Dighi village and fled the scene on a bike. The car which was seized later and was filled with jars containing country-made liquor.

Excise assistant commissioner, East Singhbhum, Arun Mishra confirmed that a raiding party from his department had gone to Chakulia, but returned empty handed.

"Suspecting that a car was involved in transporting illicit liquor, the raiding team chased it, unfortunately causing accidents. I have been apprised of the deaths of three people and am trying to find out details," Mishra informed The Telegraph Online.