Police identified him as Abdul Gaffar Sheikh Salim alias Don (30) of Azad Nagar Teka, who was involved in no less than eight criminal offences - committed between 1993 and 1995.

The police were contemplating his externment from Nagpur and adjoining five districts and had even initiated the process for the same recently.

The incident occurred around 7.15 am near a water tank opposite Buddha Vihar on the Ekta Colony-Budhaji Nagar road where Gaffar was spotted by the three assailants. The trio first assaulted him with some unidentified object, causing severe head injuries to the victim.

Later, they tied his lower limbs, partially doused him with an unidentified inflammable substance and set him ablaze. Gaffar was killed on the spot, the police said, adding that all the three assailants were since absconding. The suspects reportedly belong to the Buddha ViharVasti.

An offence of murder and common motive has been registered in this connection by the Pachpaoli police. Senior officials including Commissioner of Police P K B Chakravorty reportedly visited the scene of crime later this evening, sources said.

According to police, Gaffar was facing at least eight criminal cases of which four were registered in 1993, another three in the following year and one more in 1995.

All these cases were related to offences like theft, assault, illegal possession of lethal weapon, abduction, house-breaking, trespassing and molestation, police added.