A man has been charged with aggravated rape of a woman undergraduate in Kranji.

Indian national Chinnaiah Karthik, 21, was arrested on May 5, the day after he allegedly attacked the 23-year-old.

He had allegedly approached her in Turf Club Avenue around 1.30am, Chinese daily Lianhe Wanbao reported on Thursday.

She tried to defend herself but was overpowered by the man, who dragged her into a forested area between the Singapore Turf Club and Kranji War Memorial, and raped her, according to the newspaper.

Chinnaiah was identified from surveillance footage of the area, including from a camera attached to a nearby lamp post.

He was arrested near his dormitory during a police ambush, the newspaper said, and charged two days later.

He is now in remand as the police continue with their investigations.

If convicted, he faces at least 12 strokes of the cane and a jail term of between eight and 20 years.

Charmaine Ng