UK teen murder not about Sikkhism, Sikh MPs clarify as kirpan row intensifies

The murder conviction of a British Sikh man who fatally stabbed a teenager and then attempted to justify carrying the weapon on religious grounds by describing it as a kripan triggered tensions and political debate across the United Kingdom, with British Sikh MPs and Downing Street having renewed appeals for calm and unity.

Vickrum Digwa, 23, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years after a jury convicted him of stabbing 18-year-old Henry Nowak to death in Southampton, south-east England, last year.

The case has drawn nationwide attention after Digwa argued during the trial that the 21-cm blade used in the attack was linked to Sikh religious practice. However, Southampton Crown Court rejected the defence, ruling that the weapon was an offensive weapon and not protected under religious exemptions relating to the Sikh ceremonial knife, or kirpan.

The issue escalated further after US Vice President JD Vance reposted a social media video showing police body-camera footage from the incident. In the footage, the victim appeared to be handcuffed by police after Digwa made allegations of racism during the attack.

Vance blamed the killing on what he described as the "mass invasion of migrants", triggering criticism and concern in Britain over attempts to politicise the case and inflame community tensions.

Responding to the controversy, a spokesperson for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the victim's family did not want Henry Nowak's death to be used to fuel hatred or division.

"The Nowak family are grieving after Henry's horrific murder. They have said they do not want his death to be used to create further division, hatred or tension. We should be respecting their wishes," the spokesperson said.

"Our politics should bring people together even in the most terrible of circumstances. That is who we are as a country," the statement added.

A group of 11 British MPs of Sikh heritage, who form part of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for British Sikhs, also issued a fresh joint statement stressing that the crime should not be linked to Sikhism.

"This case was not about Sikhism, and the weapon used was not a kirpan," the MPs said.

"As the court found, it was an offensive weapon. No religious protection or justification applied, and the offender was rightly convicted and sentenced. This was not about Sikhism. It was about a man carrying an offensive weapon and committing a brutal murder," the statement added.

The statement was signed by MPs Jas Athwal, Preet Kaur Gill, Satvir Kaur, Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, Baggy Shanker, Jeevun Sandher, Sonia Kumar, Harpreet Kaur Uppal, Warinder Juss, Kirith Entwistle and Gurinder Singh Josan.

The trial has intensified scrutiny around the Sikh community's legal right in Britain to carry the kirpan, a ceremonial article of faith. Sikh groups have argued that the case risks unfairly targeting the community and damaging inter-community relations.

A spokesperson for the Gurdwara Khalsa Darbar in Southampton said members of the Sikh community were feeling "victimised" following the incident and the subsequent debate.

Meanwhile, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said six more protesters had been charged in connection with violent clashes near the Digwa family home earlier this week, taking the total number charged with violent disorder to eight.

Police officers involved in the case are also facing an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) amid allegations of "two-tier policing", referring to claims that authorities treated communities differently during the unrest.

The allegations have been rejected by authorities, while the police urged the public not to speculate on an ongoing investigation.

Digwa’s mother, Kiran Kaur, is due to be sentenced on July 17 for her role in removing the murder weapon from the crime scene shortly after the fatal stabbing on December 4 last year.

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