Jaipur: The killing of 22-year-old Vipin Kumar has left residents of Paldi Meena’s JDA Quarters colony in stunned silence. A dense, slum-like patch tucked in the outskirts of Jaipur, the area is a tangle of narrow lanes, open drains and houses pressed shoulder to shoulder — many with paint peeling and bricks exposed, barely a wall separating one life from another.Kumar lived here with his parents and nine siblings in a rented home, one among hundreds who migrated from districts like Dausa and Karauli in search of a livelihood. The locality is a maze — its labyrinth of lanes confusing even to locals. During monsoons, rainwater gathers in the broken roads, turning every street into a trap. “It’s almost impossible to walk without slipping or falling,” said Manraj Verma, a neighbour. “And yet boys like Kumar work by day and study by night.” Many of the residents who managed to do well and landed govt jobs left the area for better conditions.Development in the colony was slow, residents said, but crime grew steadily. “This area has long lived under the grip of fear,” said Navdeep Indoliya. “Goons like Mohammad Anas operated here unchecked for years.” Most homes here are tenements. Others are makeshift structures built by families holding on to a fragile dream. But what happened to Kumar —dragged out and stabbed on the street—pierced the community to its core.
