Berhampur, June 28: Seven persons, including a woman, were arrested today for allegedly murdering the woman's 27-year-old son-in-law at Janibili in Dharakote police limits of Ganjam district, about 60 kilometres from here. According to police, the wife of the deceased is missing.

Cops seized the half-burnt body of the victim, Santosh Kumar Prusty, from the cremation ground and sent it for post-mortem to the MKCG Hospital on Monday.

"We have arrested seven persons, including Sabitri Sahu, three of her brothers-in-law and three others and took them to the court today," said the inspector in charge of Dharakote police station, Ranjan Kumar Deo.

Santosh, a native of Mundamarei, worked as a labourer in Surat. He married Gayatri, daughter of Siba Sahu of Janibili, in 2009. The couple have a five-year-old son. Sabitri, Santosh's mother-in-law, is the sister of the victim's father Hina Prusty.

Santosh returned from Surat a fortnight ago and was staying at his mother-in-law's house. She claimed Santosh committed suicide. Hina Prusty, Santosh's father, who lives in Rourkela with his two sons and works as a tailor, alleged his son was killed by Sabitri and Gayatri for property. Cops swung into action after Hina lodged an FIR on Monday.

"I had transferred my house and landed property to the joint ownership of my son Santosh and sister Sabitri. She eliminated my son to grab the property. Sabitri told me over the phone that Santosh committed suicide around midnight on Sunday. While I was rushing to Janibili from Rourkela, she told me they were taking my dead son's body to the cremation ground and I strongly objected to it. I informed the Dharakote police about the incident," Hina said.

"We have registered a case under sections 302, 201 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code after Hina Prusty, the father of the deceased, lodged an FIR," said Deo. "We are investigating into various aspects of the case and a clear picture will emerge after a thorough investigation and the post-mortem report," Deo said.