Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao on Sunday ordered a probe by Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the killing of five undertrial prisoners by police in a gunfight.

Rao instructed Chief Secretary Rajiv Sharma to issue orders on Monday appointing the SIT.

The chief minister has taken the decision keeping in view the doubts expressed by certain organizations and some individuals on the matter, said a statement from the chief minister's office.

Police had gunned down the five undertrials at Aler in Nalgonda district on April 6 when they were being brought to Hyderabad from Warangal Central Jail. Police claimed that they were trying to snatch weapons and escape.

Families of the undertrials, Muslims organisations and civil liberties groups have termed the gunfight "fake" and "staged-managed".