At around 3.15 AM today, police received a call about smoke emanating from a house at Sawarkar Nagar locality in the city, Wagle Estate police station's senior inspector A D Kshirsagar said.
Police and firemen rushed to the house and found there a body, identified as that of one Rajendra alias Raju Gulab Jagtap (40), bearing wounds on head.
Police suspect that Jagtap, who was a painter, was killed and the culprits set the body on fire to destroy evidence of the offence, he said.
A couple of persons have been taken into custody in this regard, he said, adding, the probe is on to identify and nab the accused.
Offences have been registered under relevant sections of the IPC, the official said.