New Delhi, Feb 14 (IANS): A carpenter killed his wife following a heated argument over his affair with another woman, kept the body in the house for over two days and later chopped it into pieces to hide the crime.

The incident came to light on Tuesday morning when Subodh Kumar's neighbours enquired about the putrid smell emanating from his rented flat in east Delhi's Mandawali area and then informed police.

"We arrested Kumar from his flat and recovered his wife's semi-decomposed decapitated body and head from a box from there," a police officer said.

Kumar, the father of two daughters, told the investigators that he killed his wife Manisha, 35, on Saturday night by slitting her throat with a knife.

"Initial investigation revealed that Kumar and his wife used to fight regularly over his affair with another woman in the area. He had planned the crime a week ago and sent his two daughters to their maternal uncle's home in Uttar Pradesh," the officer added.

Kumar also purchased a cutter and a large bag to dispose of the body. He had shifted to this flat six months before.