The man's wife died on Thursday night while trying to escape but was thrashed by the locals on the spot.
"It was a hub of crime," Inspector General of Police Kanpur Mohit Agarwal said when asked about the razing of the house.
Vikas Dubey, who met with a gory end in an encounter with the UP Special Task Force near Kanpur on Friday, conjured the image of a typical don who dabbled in real-estate, won a district-level election and rubbed shoulders with political figures.