The police on Friday arrested five of the six members of a gang that was allegedly hired to eliminate yoga teacher Polamarasetty Venkata Ramana.

The yoga teacher, who had a training centre in Vietnam, was killed on the road on the night of January 26 at Marripalem VUDA Colony in the city. In all, eight persons were said to be involved in it. The main accused, Kilaparthi Venkata Ramana, allegedly hired the gang. "He is currently undergoing treatment in a hospital for injuries he sustained after being attacked by the gang members for not paying the blood money. He will be arrested after his discharge from the hospital," ACP (West) L. Arjun said.

The arrested were identified as G. Ajay Kumar, Vykunta Rao, Dhanunjay, Anil Kumar, and Prasad, all aged 26 and residents of Burma Colony in the Kancharapalem area of the city. Another member of the gang, Ramesh, is at large.

Kilaparthi Eswar Rao, also a yoga teacher in Vietnam and son of Kilaparthi Venkata Ramana, is still to be summoned by the police.

"Eswar Raos role is still to be established," said Mr. Arjun. Disputes pertaining to the family and share in the yoga business were said to be the reasons behind the murder, he said.

The ACP said that Polamarasetty Venkata Ramana had returned to India four years ago. He allegedly developed an affair with Kilaparthi Venkata Ramana’s daughter.

Much before that, Kilaparthi Venkata Ramana had filed a case against Polamarasetty Venkata Ramana, accusing him of harassing his daughter. Based on it, the police had booked a case and seized his passport.

Some time ago, Polamarasetty Venkata Ramana wanted to settle the issue as he wanted to go back to Vietnam and resume his yoga business. "But that might jeopardise his son Eswar Rao’s popularity in Vietnam. The alleged affair with his daughter is another factor. So, Kilaparthi Venkata Ramana decided to eliminate him," said Mr. Arjun.

A week before the murder, Kilaparthi Venkata Ramana moved to Burma Colony from Gajuwaka and contacted Ajay Kumar, a friend and habitual offender, and conspired to eliminate the yoga teacher. They struck a deal for Rs.1.5 lakh at a bar on January 25. On January 26, the yoga teacher was called out of his residence for a compromise by Kilaparthi Venkata Ramana. As he came out, the assailants done him to death with iron rods.Later, the accused moved to Anakapalle to stay in Kilaparthi Venkata Ramana’s house in a private taxi.

On noticing the police at the house, they went to Annavaram and later took a train back to Visakhapatnam. To avoid the police, they got down in the outer area of the station and walked along the track to reach Burma Camp. At a secluded spot, they consumed liquor and entered into an argument with Kilaparthi Venkata Ramana over the payment issue and severely beat him for not keeping his promise. The police picked up the injured on Sunday and admitted him to hospital, where he spilled the beans, Mr. Arjun said.