A 30-year-old Dalit woman, Ranjitha Bhanasode, was stabbed to death in Yellapur, Uttara Kannada, on January 3, 2025. Police said the accused, Rafique Imamsab, who was known to her, was found dead in a nearby forest the next day. The Superintendent of Police, M.N. Deepan, told PTI that preliminary investigation revealed Rafique had pressured Ranjitha to marry him. She refused, and he attacked her with a knife in public while she was returning from work. Ranjitha lived separately from her husband and worked as a mid-day meal helper at a government school. The accused often visited her home for food, but tensions rose over his marriage demands. After the murder, local residents and Hindu groups protested at the police station, accusing the police of delayed action. They called the killing a case of 'love jihad' and planned further protests until the accused was arrested. Sri Ram Sena chief Pramod Muthalik said, "It's a 100% case of ‘love jihad’ where single women, widows or divorcee are targeted." BJP State president B.Y. Vijayendra planned to meet Ranjitha’s family. Police deployed extra forces and tightened security in Yellapur following the unrest. The incident has stirred communal tension in the town and led to a bandh called by several Hindu outfits on January 4.