Japanese police on Tuesday arrested the head of the "Life Space" cult, and seven of his followers.

　 The eight suspects were arrested on suspicion of leaving a seriously sick man to die without giving him medical treatment.

　 Last July, they took the seriouly sick man from a hospital to a hotel and left him without any medical treatment.

　 The patient's mummified body was found in the room last November.

　 "Life Space" was founded in 1983. By organizing self-enlightenment seminars, the cult once had 10,000 members at its peak before the number declined to the current 150.