Egypt's interior minister Magdy Adel Ghafar has ordered an investigation into an incident of a policeman who was seen on video beating a citizen in a Cairo metro station, state news agency MENA reported.

The video has gone viral on social media outlets across Egypt Wednesday.

The reason the man was stopped by the police is unclear.

Assistant to the interior minister, Abou Bakr Abdel Kerim, told MENA that the incident has been referred to the internal review bureau.

The video which was uploaded on Youtube on Tuesday shows a man wearing police uniform holding a civilian in a "full Nelson," while another man also wearing police uniform beating and slapping the restrained person on his back, head, and face. 

The detained man was taken over to the metro station’s security office, as some people who had gathered around the scene are heard voicing dissaproval.

Egyptian police has a long record of using violence.

There have been a number of complaints of police using excessive force against citizens and detainees.

Local and international rights organisations have repeatedly called for reform of its practices and for holding officers accountable.

The interior ministry has maintained that it is committed to protecting human rights and implementing the rule of law.

Several cases of police violence have been recently brought to court, including the killing of a peaceful marcher at the anniversary of the 25 January revolution,  and the death of a lawyer in a police station in Matariya after a violent investigation session by two officers in February.