The registration of a complaint of rape by a Russian girl against a local politician was delayed further with the Goa police handing over the case to the Crime Branch.
When the 25-year-old girl went to file a fresh complaint at Colva police station late on Friday night, authorities informed her the case was transferred to the Crime Branch.
The foreigner has alleged that 34-year-old John Fernandes, who unsuccessfully fought the 2007 state assembly elections, had raped her on the midnight of December 1.
She has said that Fernandes sexually assaulted her in his car while giving her a lift back from Colva beach to her hotel along with another Russian girl, whom he dropped first. He had joined the duo over a dinner at a beach shack on that night.
The victim, who works as a Russian representative for The Leela Hotel, has alleged that her drink was spiked by the accused, which made her feel uneasy.
Accusing the police of shielding the politician, the girl, in a letter to Russian Consulate, had said Colva police station in-charge Siddhant Shirodkar asked her to tone down the complaint and warned she might lose her job and get visa cancelled.
The letter says she was asked to file a complaint mentioning that Fernandes verbally abused and pulled down her clothes. When she refused, she was harassed for almost three-and-half hours at the police station and a case of attempt to rape was filed.
The girl, after meeting Russian Consulate authorities, went back to the police station last night with a fresh rape complaint, but she was told the Crime Branch would be looking into the matter.
The Colva police, who were supposed to take the girl for a medical check-up, had to drop the plan.
Fernandes has moved the local court for anticipatory bail and his plea would be heard later in the day.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Umesh Gaonkar said a first information report was filed in the case on the basis of the statement given by the girl, who had signed it.
