According to police, Pooja was riding pillion with a friend on a motorcycle when the mishap occurred. Pooja, who was rushed to the Apollo Gleneagles tertiary centre with head and neck injuries, was declared “dead on arrival”.

Neeraj Garg, who was riding the two-wheeler, has been admitted to hospital in a serious condition. The two reside in Belur, Howrah district.

The CRPF convoy, comprising three trucks and a bus, was returning to the unit’s camp at Salt Lake after dropping officers at the Howrah railway station when the bus hit Garg’s motorcycle from behind. Garg’s family members told mediapersons that Pooja and Neeraj were on their way to a cinema hall when the accident occurred.

Pooja, who hit the road first, came under the wheels of the bus.

Sources said when eyewitnesses tried to stop the driver from escaping, the CRPF personnel allegedly pulled guns on the mob in a bid to scare them off.

Angry locals then hurled stones at the bus and beat up the driver, the police said.

They added the situation has been brought under control but it was still “tense”.

CRPF Deputy Commandant Debashish Biswas said that one of their personnel injured in the violence has been admitted to hospital.