UK Murder: Digwa Jailed for Life; Case Draws Focus on 'Kirpan'

June

2026

The Southampton Crown Court found twenty-three years old Vickrum Singh Digwa guilty of killing eighteen years old Henry Nowak on 3 Dec 2025 using a 21 cm-long kirpan (traditional sword). Digwa has been jailed for life with a minimum of 21 years. Digwa—an initiated Sikh who wears a kirpan as an article of faith—had denied the murder claiming he acted in self-defense after an altercation escalated on Belmont Road. Digwa told jurors the teenager appeared intoxicated, had used a racial slur, and later became aggressive. The judge’s statement clarified that Nowak’s blood alcohol level at the time of his death was below the legal limit for driving. Jurors rejected the defense and found Digwa guilty of murder and of carrying a knife in public. Digwa’s mother, 53-year-old Kiran Kaur was also found guilty of assisting an offender after prosecutors said she removed the weapon from the scene. The ruling also sparked accusations of two-tier policing over officers' harsh treatment of the dying victim. Sikh organizations across the UK have distanced themselves from the murder and issued a public statement urging people not to associate the Sikh faith with the murder trial. The British Sikh Federation expressed condolences to Nowak’s family and described the incident as inconsistent with Sikh teachings and values. Their statement said: ‘This incident as reported does not align with the Sikh faith, the Sikh community, or the principles it stands for. Sikh teachings are founded on compassion, justice, humility, responsibility, and service to humanity.' UK Member of Parliament Rupert Lowe has called for the kirpan to be banned in public spaces. The Sikh Federation UK has issued a statement clarifying the legal position of the kirpan: 'The law only provides fully practicing Sikhs with a defense under the law to wear a kirpan for religious reasons. If a kirpan or a bladed item is used aggressively in an act of violence the defense under the law for a kirpan does not apply and it is deemed an offensive weapon.' A leading figure in the Sikh Federation UK, Dabinderjit Singh said that the Sikhs are being 'demonized' after the murder and claimed the Sikh community had seen a 'huge increase in hate crime' since the trial (earlier coverage).