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Neighbours of police constable Sunil More, accused of raping a minor girl on Marine drive last week, have been facing very embarrassing times.
None in the police colony at Goregaon (west), a western suburb of Mumbai, where More stayed, are related to him. But of late they are facing the uninvited ignominy of being called 'rapist's neighbours'.
The incident has shocked the colony's families, many of which have been staying there since the last 30 years.
"We all are facing embarrassment because of More. Everyone is asking us about him. We don't know him very well because he would rarely interact with us. We just knew that he is our neighbour. The whole police department is being targetted because of the evil act of one person. We all are not like More. We are condemning what he did and want that he should be hanged for his act, said Gani Mulani a retired constable.
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His neighbours are aware of his drinking habit, though he never troubled anyone. He would walk past most people with his head bowed, recalls one resident.
"He always appeared drunk. His wife did spend time with us, but she never said anything negative about her husband" said Sarita, another neighbour.
More was not social, he never attended functions held in the society. His wife would attend some functions, but the couple were not too well known in the police quarters, says the locals.
More's house is now locked. His wife, who is pregnant, has left for her native village.
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His neighbours will not miss him. "We are all feeling ashamed because of his act. We want him punished. He has given all of us a bad name," says a neighbour, Mahesh Kadam.