Cultists nabbed for beating 'electromagnetic waves' out of academic

Mainichi Shimbun, Japan/December 5, 2003

Fukui -- Five members of the Panawave cult were arrested Friday for beating an academic with bamboo sticks to remove electromagnetic waves, police said.

The man later died in hospital from a heat stroke.

The five senior members are accused of hitting Satoshi Chigusa, an assistant professor at Fukuoka University of Education, in the back with bamboo swords and sticks made of rolled up cardboard on Aug. 7.

After the attack, Chigusa suffered heat stroke and was taken to hospital where he died. Members of the cult told the officers that Chigusa was involved in work designed to "remove electromagnetic waves" from the facilities as they believed such waves would harm their leader, Yuko Chino.

They added that the five arrested people were in charge of hitting Chigusa and others to remove electromagnetic waves claimed to have accumulated in their bodies.

Officers searched the Panawave facilities in Fukui and questioned members on suspicion that the academic died from complications from the heat stroke and external injuries he sustained during the attack.

The officers didn't arrest the five on charges of inflicting injuries resulting in death because they have been unable to learn the exact cause of Chigusa's death.

Police plan to investigate whether guru Chino was involved in the beating of Chigusa.