London, Jan 1 : Scientologists were coerced to play a bizarre game of musical chairs to decide who should be in the cult's inner circle, a new book has revealed.

Church members danced frantically to Queen's `Bohemian Rhapsody' until 4 am. The mad ritual in a "punishment cell" dubbed The Hole climaxed in violent scenes, John Sweeney wrote in his book `The Church of Fear,' the Sun reported.

Former sect member Tom DeVocht told the BBC Panorama that competitors faced rejection by leader David Miscavige - a friend of Scientologist superstar Tom Cruise - if they lost a chair place.

DeVocht, a builder, said that everybody played the game with this mental anguish and people kept breaking down.

A chair was smashed in two as a winner was decided in the cell - built from two trailer homes at the sect's California HQ, Gold Base, at Gilman Hot Springs.

DeVocht claimed that he was a long-time friend of Miscavige, 52, until he left the weird sect in 2005.

He said Miscavige - Cruise's best man at his 2006 wedding to Katie Holmes - hit him twice.

The Church and Miscavige have denied all claims of abuse and violence.

They said that Sweeney, who erupted in fury at a Scientology member in a BBC programme in 2007, is psychotic, a liar and a bigot. (ANI)