A man was found dead, believed beaten to death, for allegedly stealing a pair of sports shoes worth RM200 from a second hand clothing shop in Jalan Merlin, Tampin, early today.

Tampin district police chief Supt Hamazah Abdul Razak said the man's brother reported that he was driving along Jalan Batu Satu, Tampin at 4.45 am when he saw a crowd.

"He stopped and saw his younger brother,27, lying on the road. He rushed his brother to Tampin Hospital where doctors said he had died," he said in statement here, today.

Earlier, at 2am, police received a report from a second hand clothing shop owner that he caught a man stealing a pair of sports shoes by wearing them.

Police have arrested four men aged 30 to 34 years, namely the shop owner, two shop assistants and the victim's brother to aid investigation.

The case was investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder. --BERNAMA