A retired police officer fought bravely with robbers at the age of 74 but faced rude behaviour at a police station in Gaya district.

Ravindra Rai, a retired deputy superintendent of police, foiled an attempt by a group of armed robbers to loot his belongings when he was going to board a Lucknow-bound train at Gaya railway station on Wednesday morning.

Ravindra, a resident of Anugrah Narayan Colony in Gaya town, received head injuries when one of the four armed robbers attacked him with iron rods and revolver butts. However, he did not lose his patience and fought with them bravely, compelling them to flee from the spot.

"The robbers decided to snatch my suitcase, shoulder bag and wallet containing money considering my old age. However, they were taken aback after I fought them out and saved my belongings. No doubt some local residents rushed to the site after hearing an alarm raised by me. But they fled as soon as the criminals exploded crude bombs," he said.

Rigorous training at the Police Training College at Hazaribagh in undivided Bihar in 1966 helped Ravindra to deal with the robbers even after his retirement.

"I started using my limbs, hands as well as legs to take on the outlaws, who had not expected such resistance from an elderly citizen like me," the former cop said.

However, Ravindra was shocked at the attitude of the police officers posted at the Rampur police station where he had gone to lodge a formal complaint.

"The officer on duty not only expressed his displeasure over size of the written complaint but was also reluctant to register an FIR. I had to rewrite the complaint on his (officer on duty) instruction," he added.

Ravindra, who retired from service in 2000, said the complaint would not have been lodged had he not been a retired deputy SP. "Some of the policemen deputed at the police station even raised questions over my physical ability and techniques to fight with four robbers at a time," he said.

He added: "It's not your physical strength but techniques that help you in an operation - either against criminals or Maoists. I am sorry to say that newly recruited cops lacked proper training. The result is evident."

Rampur police station house officer Gaurishankar Gupta said an FIR had already been registered against unidentified persons on the statement of the victim, who is a retired police officer. "We are looking into the matter," he told The Telegraph over phone on Thursday.