There were violent protests in Bidar in Karnataka on Tuesday in response to a man allegedly raping and murdering a 20-year-old woman on Sunday. The Bharatiya Janata Party’s state unit also held a rally in protest against the crime.

Reports said the police were forced to charge protestors with batons after their agitation turned violent. Pro-Hindutva groups have called for a strike in protest against the rape and murder, according to TimesNow.

The man allegedly raped and murdered the 20-year-old woman after she rejected his advances multiple times. The police have arrested the accused, identified as Shamsuddin. He was the woman’s neighbour in Kosam and had been trying to woo her for the past two years, The Times of India reported.

Shamsuddin allegedly lured her to a forest while she was returning home from college, raped her and then slit her throat.