Arvind Pratap, alias Pintu, of Birari village under Ekdil police station area was called out from his house last night by three to four unknown persons, circle officer Shivraj Singh said.
His body, which bore marks of iron rods and stick, was found outside the village this morning, Singh said.
The locals staged a protest on the busy Kanpur-Etawah highway, disrupting traffic for about two hours.
They were demanding immediate arrest of the killers.