Bhubaneswar/Cuttack, Aug. 15: The crime branch today registered a fresh case against the self-styled spiritual leader, Sarathi baba, for threatening the girl, who had accompanied him to Hyderabad last month, and forcing her to lodge a false complaint.

Crime branch's additional director-general B.K. Sharma told The Telegraph that the girl had lodged a fresh written complaint with them against Sarathi.

The girl, who is a medic at SCB college, mentioned in her fresh complaint that Sarathi had threatened her not to disclose her relation with him and forced her to lodge complaint against four other persons - Kishore Mallick, Khageswar Rout, Kailash Mallick and Nandi - with Mangalabag police on August 7.

"The girl said two women had approached her, and one of them introduced herself as a CBI officer. They compelled her to go to the police and lodge a false complaint that the four persons had blackmailed her to accompany Sarathi in Hyderabad," said Sharma. The girl also alleged that she was also offered Rs 10 lakh for lodging a false complaint.

Yesterday, she had recorded her statement, under section 164 of the CrPC, before a first-class magistrate on the controversy over her alleged stay with Sarathi at a hotel in Hyderabad. Sources said that today's complaint was the follow up of her yesterday's statement.

In another development, the Cuttack sub-divisional judicial magistrate today sent Sarathi to a 14-day judicial custody, as the crime branch did not seek for a fresh remand for him. He was sent to the Choudwar jail. Sarathi was produced before court in the morning and the court asked the crime branch to produce him on August 21. Sources said the crime branch could file a fresh petition and took him on remand if required.