John Fernandes, a politician from the Indian state of Goa, has been charged with raping a Russian woman who worked at a local five-star hotel, Indian media reported Tuesday.

The 25-year-old woman claimed Fernandes assaulted her in his car after offering her a lift, adding that he mixed alcohol into her drinks to render her unable to fight back, the news web site Oneindia.in reported.

The woman told Indian NDTV television that police advised her not to press charges against Fernandes, who wields a lot of influence in Goa.

But the politician, who was charged Monday, was placed on a national wanted list in December and turned himself in to police in January.

Police said Fernandes tried to destroy evidence in the case by washing the car and presenting a wrong set of clothes to investigators, Oneindia.in reported.

About 40,000 of the 2 million tourists who visit Goa every year are Russians, which leads local hotels to hire Russian-speaking personnel.

In January, a 9-year-old Russian girl was raped by an Indian tourist in Goa, prompting outrage in Russia.