TNN
 
Karwar, Mar 9: The Karnataka police have arrested an electrical engineering student of a reputed college in Bangalore on the charges of raping a 28-year old Australian woman.

Sharan Gouda (20), a native of Raichur, who is studying for sixth semester, was holidaying with a group of boys and staying in a cottage at Gokarna town near Karwar adjacent to the resort where the Australian was staying with her husband.

Sub-inspector Kiran Kumar said the woman was staying in Cafe Paradise, a resort on the Om beach. A complaint filed with the police said in the wee hours of Saturday, she was sleeping inside the cottage with the doors open as it was hot, while the husband slept outside.

Past midnight, she felt a man on her and realized it was a stranger. When she raised an alarm, the person ran away. Her husband who woke up hearing the noise, saw him fleeing. He gathered other foreign nationals staying in nearby cottages, locked him up in his room till morning when he was taken into custody.

By 10.30 am on Saturday, the victim filed a complaint alleging rape and the police arrested Sharan.

Western range DIG Gopal B Hosur said Sharan broke into the cottage where the woman was staying and raped her. "The accused was touring the place along with six friends. We are ascertaining whether he was under the influence of alcohol when the incident took place,'' Hosur said.

Sharan was produced before Kumta magistrate, who sent him to judicial custody.