Karnal (Haryana), Jan 14 (IANS): A newly-married woman, who had been missing for the past few months, is believed to have been allegedly murdered by her own father and other relatives in this Haryana district, police said here Sunday.

The Haryana Police here have launched an investigation to unravel the mystery behind the woman going missing.

Police have arrested her father, Rajbir, maternal uncle Rajinder and an accomplice Surinder for the murder of Kusum, aged about 21 years.

According to police, Kusum had married Karambir July 5 last year after eloping from her house in village Sadarpur near Gharaunda town of Karnal district, 150 km from Chandigarh.

The newly-married couple stayed in a safe house of the Haryana Police till July 18, and later shifted to the house of Karambir's parents in adjoining Kurukshetra district.

On Oct 16, Kusum complained to police in Shahbad town that her husband used to beat and torture her and said that she wanted to go back to her parents.

She then came to the house of her maternal uncle and stayed there till Oct 30. On her complaint given on Dec 29, a case of dowry harassment and intimidation was registered against her husband (Karambir) and his parents, police said.

On Jan 6, Karambir filed a complaint with police that Kusum was missing since Oct 16. Following this, the district police in Karnal constituted a special team to investigate the matter.

"On Jan 7, this special team arrested her father, Rajbir. He confessed that he had murdered his daughter on Oct 30 with the help of his two juvenile sons and had then buried her dead body in the courtyard of his house," a police spokesman said.

"On Nov 2, Rajbir, his brother-in-law Rajinder and one more accused, Surinder, dug out the dead body, transported it in a car and threw it in a canal," the spokesman said.

Following this, police arrested Rajinder and Surinder, he added.

Police are now trying to recover the body of Kusum from the canal.