Upset that his wife was making a long-distance call to a mystery party, he reportedly punched her in a fight and left her lying on the bed.

It was only later, he told a friend, that he realised that she was not unconscious, but dead. That was when he decided to get rid of the body.

A coroner's court found yesterday that Indian national Jasvinder Kaur, 33, had been murdered by her husband, Harvinder Singh, 35, on Dec 11, 2013.

Ms Kaur's headless body was discovered floating in Whampoa River on the morning of Dec 12. Her corpse was wrapped in black trash bags, with the legs exposed and hands severed at the wrists.

Harvinder, a senior logistics coordinator, remains on the run. His friend, fellow Indian national Gursharan Singh, 27, was jailed for 30 months in April for helping to get rid of Ms Kaur's body.

Gursharan, a forklift driver, had helped Harvinder carry a luggage bag from the latter's residence at 228A Balestier Road to the canal near McNair Road.

When Gursharan grew suspicious at how heavy the bag was, he demanded to know what was in it. Harvinder then explained that he had fought that morning with Ms Kaur and punched her once on the neck.

He said she had fallen onto the bed and he had left her there. When he found her in the same position later, he realised she was dead and decided to dispose of her body.

Although Gursharan was then aware that the luggage contained a corpse, he helped Harvinder carry it to the canal. Harvinder then told him to walk away. As Gursharan left, he heard a splash.

Ms Kaur's employer told investigators that after the deceased failed to turn up for work as a beautician on Dec 11, Harvinder called to say she was returning to India.

Harvinder fled the next morning to Malaysia, and then to India, where the authorities were unable to trace him. He is now on Interpol's wanted list.

The exact cause of Ms Kaur's death remains unknown as her head and hands were never found.