Self-proclaimed qigong master Wang Lin was formally arrested on Thursday by police in Pingxiang, Jiangxi Province for unlawful detention, after he was investigated for the alleged kidnapping and murder of one of his followers.
Two others, Liu Feng and Zhu Litong, were arrested for intentional homicide, while another person surnamed Huang was arrested for the same reason as Wang, media reported Thursday.
The victim, a company president surnamed Zou, was kidnapped on July 9 and killed. Police detained the four in July.
Wang, who claims to be a qigong master, a mix of traditional martial arts and meditation, achieved fame in 2013 when images of his supposed "supernatural powers" were posted on the Internet. These "powers" included conjuring snakes out of thin air.
He was also seen posing for pictures with many celebrities.
The public has questioned Wang's authenticity, with some media accusing him of amassing a fortune through claims of curing the sick.
Earlier media reports revealed that Zou was introduced to Wang in 2002. In a 2013 TV interview, Zou said he had paid 5 million yuan ($783,000) in 2009 to become a disciple of Wang, who allegedly extorted nearly 30 million yuan from him thereafter.
Wang has been previously investigated for possessing a gun, unlicensed medical practices, bribery and fraud. Police and health authorities launched an investigation in 2013 but failed to make any headway due to a lack of evidence.
