Sharan Basavraj, 22, an electrical engineering student from Bangalore, India, has been arrested and charged with raping the 28-year old woman from Queensland.

Karnataka police sub-inspector Kiran Kumar said the woman was staying with her husband in Paradise Beach, a resort popular with Western tourists at Gokarna, on the Northern Coast of Karnataka.

Police said in the early hours of Saturday, the woman was sleeping inside the cottage with the doors open as it was hot, as her husband slept outside.

The woman claims that she opened the door to someone in her apartment, thinking it was her husband.

Then the accused forced himself on her and raped her.

Her husband woke up hearing the noise and saw his wife's attacker fleeing. He gathered other foreign nationals staying in nearby cottages, captured the alleged rapist and locked him up in his room until he was taken into custody by police.

The accused was holidaying with a group of boys and staying in a cottage at Gokarna town near the resort where the Australian woman was staying with her husband.

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 10.30am 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,'' he said.