Cult Leader, Aides Told to Pay Millions

A Tokyo court ordered apocalyptic cult guru Shoko Asahara and two of his top followers to pay nearly $7.5 million in damages to victims of last year’s nerve gas attack on the city’s subways. It is unlikely the money will ever be paid, because the Aum Supreme Truth cult has been declared bankrupt and ordered to disband. Regardless, survivors of the attack, which left 11 dead, consider the ruling a legal victory that could set a precedent for other civil lawsuits against the cult. Criminal charges are still pending against Asahara and many other top cult members.