The victim was sleeping on a pavement last night when the incident took place in the city area, DSP Tulsidas Purohit said.
"The victim, a rickshaw puller, was allegedly sodomised and beaten. He was then set ablaze by unidentified persons and died on the spot," he said.
The man was separated from his family for the last 15 years, the DSP said, adding the investigation is underway.