In the eastern Indian city of Calcutta, police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse thousands of protesters demanding justice for the rape and murder of a junior doctor at a government hospital earlier this month.

The discovery of the 31-year-old’s body sparked nationwide outrage over increasing violence against women.

On Tuesday, thousands marched to a government building in Kolkata demanding the resignation of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

A hospital volunteer was arrested in connection with the crime. The incident has now been handed over to India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) following criticism of the slow response of the local police.

The protesters chanted slogans and clashed with police, who used batons to disperse the crowd.

Namita Ghosh, a student who took part in the protest, told AFP that the crowd had intended to “protest peacefully” before the baton attack.

A senior police official, who wished to remain anonymous, said at least 100 protesters had been arrested for “inciting violence.”

A series of protests have taken place since the August 9 killing. In the largest protest, tens of thousands of women across West Bengal took part in the Reclaim the Night march on August 14, demanding “independence to live in freedom and without fear.”

But since then, some of the protests have escalated into chaotic political rallies, with clashes between police and protesters from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) angry at the state government.

The BJP, which is an opposition party in West Bengal and is led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accuses Ms Banerjee’s government of creating an unsafe environment for women, which it says has enabled crimes such as the doctor’s murder.

Her half-naked body with severe injuries was discovered in a seminar room of RG Kar Medical College, where she had retreated during her shift.

The Supreme Court of India said the incident was “shocked the conscience of the nation” and criticized the authorities for their handling of the investigation.

Ms Banerjee’s government has announced a series of measures to ensure women’s safety at work, including special rest rooms and video-monitored “safety zones” in government hospitals.

Since the woman’s death, other rape cases have made headlines in India, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi declaring that “monstrous behaviour towards women must be punished severely and swiftly”.