India probe into 'fake' killing

Pintu Mishra was allegedly a small time criminal

The government in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh has ordered a probe into an alleged extra judicial killing of a man which was shown on television.

A news channel broadcast footage on Wednesday of a young man being gunned down by police last September in a crowded area in Allahabad city.

The man, Pintu Mishra, was described by the police as a small-time criminal.

Security forces in India are often blamed for carrying out "fake encounters" or extra-judicial killings.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati has ordered a investigation into the killing of Pintu Mishra after a news channel showed footage of him being shot by police.

The footage showed Mishra volunteering to surrender and raising his hands in the air and saying that he had no arms on him.

Moments later, he is hit by bullets and begins running and collapses soon after in a pool of blood.

It is not clear how the footage surfaced nearly a year after the incident, and who shot it.

Uttar Pradesh police chief Vikram Singh said that the footage "looked like a fake encounter".

"The government has taken the issue very seriously and the guilty policemen will not be spared," he said.

Human rights groups in Uttar Pradesh have protested against "fake encounters" after the footage was shown on national television.

"Such encounters are a shame on democracy," award winning social worker, Sandeep Pandey said.

"These are a clear violation of human rights," he said.