New Delhi, Jun 12 (IANS): Umesh Goenka, a friend of IPL's Rajasthan Royals team owner Raj Kundra, Wednesday told a court here that he was forced to name Kundra in the cricket betting case to save himself from Delhi Police torture.

Goenka, business partner of Kundra, whose statement has been recorded as a witness in the case, claimed in the court that he was forced to name Kundra on instructions from investigators who had traumatised him and physically abused him in illegal custody for five days.

"Due to threats, torture and extreme fear of consequences on refusing to comply with the dictates of police, I made the statement before the magistrate. It was not made voluntarily and was given under duress on directions of police," he told the court.

Goenka said during interrogation when he reiterated his stand about his and Kundra's non-involvement in betting, police personnel slapped him, removed his clothes and tortured him physically delivering fists and blows and slapped on his face so hard that his right ear-drum got ruptured.

The remarks of Goenka came through an application for retraction of his June 5 statement made before a magistrate in which he had named Kundra in the cricket betting case.

Additional Sessions Judge Vinay Kumar Khanna after hearing brief arguments directed police to file a response on the application by June 14.

Filing a detailed application, Goenka narrated the alleged torture at the hands of police. It was also added in the application that he was now disclosing the truth after the court, while giving bail to accused in the spot fixing case, pulled up police for invoking the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).

"During the investigation, police abducted me from my house in Ahmedabad on June 2, illegally detained me and put pressure upon me to make a statement under section 164 CrPC as per their narration/instruction," Goenka's application said.

He said he was forcibly taken to a hotel by two officials of Delhi Police and then flown to Delhi and brought to the police's Special Cell office in Lodhi Colony in south Delhi where he was asked to disclose his and Kundra's involvement in the cricket match betting.

His application said: "That under duress, fear and to save himself from further physical torture, I agreed to name Kundra as per the wishes of the police personnel."