NEW DELHI: A 40-year-old

has alleged that a

hit him in northwest Delhi's Rohini on Thursday after he refused to heed to the demand of its three occupants to chant '

'.

However, police said they are verifying the claims made by the cleric.

In his complaint to the police, Maulana Momin (40), who teaches at a local madrassa in Rohini's Sector 20, said the incident occurred on Thursday evening when he was taking a stroll near the mosque-cum-madrassa. As he was walking back towards the mosque around 6.45 pm, Momin said, a car brushed past him. The car had 'Jai Shri Ram' written on its windscreen.

"Three men in their mid-thirties tried to shake hands with me. I was suspicious of their intentions, but nevertheless shook hands with them," Momin said.

The three then asked about Momin's well being to which he replied, "By the grace of Allah, I am good. They objected to it and asked me to chant Jai Shri Ram." Momin refused to chant Jai Shri Ram and said they were free to do so.

"I started walking back to my masjid, but I was hit by a vehicle. The impact was such that it flung me in the air. As I fell on the ground, I lost consciousness," he said. One of the passersby called the police who later took him to Sanjay Gandhi Hospital in Sultanpuri. Momin suffered injuries on his head, face and hands.