Sikh PIO's murder conviction triggers storm over carrying kirpan in public

TOI correspondent from London: British-born Sikh Vickrum Singh Digwa was convicted this week of murdering 18-year-old Southampton University student Henry Nowak with a 21cm kirpan, a verdict that ignited political demands to ban carrying the ceremonial dagger in public spaces even for religious reasons.

The ruling, delivered by a jury at Southampton Crown Court, also sparked accusations of two-tier policing over officers' treatment of the dying victim, based on Digwa's now-disproven claim that he was provoked by racial abuse.

Digwa's mother Kiran Kaur, 53, an Indian national, was convicted of assisting him by removing the murder weapon from the scene.

Protesters gathered outside Southampton Central police station after Thursday's verdict while MP Robert Jenrick wrote to home secretary Shabana Mahmood, calling for a parliamentary debate on two-tier policing. MP Rupert Lowe called for the kirpan to be banned in public spaces.

The Sikh Federation UK has since issued a statement clarifying the legal position of the kirpan. "The law only provides fully practising Sikhs with a defence 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 defence under the law for a kirpan does not apply and it is deemed an offensive weapon."

Opposition MPs are demanding the release of police bodycam footage from the scene. Darren Paffey, MP for Southampton Itchen, said, "Carrying a blade in public is dangerous, and describing a weapon as 'ceremonial' is no defence when it is used to take a young man's life."

Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, said it was "shameful" that police handcuffed Henry "as he lay dying, especially after he told them he had been stabbed".

"The police seemed more interested in cuffing someone accused of making a racist comment than in saving a dying man. Henry's last words were, 'I can't breathe'. If he had been an ethnic minority there would probably be protests and riots by now," Philp said.

Police officers who arrived at the scene initially arrested Nowak after Digwa told them what the court described as a "wicked lie" — that he had been the victim of a racist attack.

Officers handcuffed Nowak immediately. Only after realising the teenager was dying did they begin administering first aid.

Tech billionaire Elon Musk wrote on X that he would fund a wrongful death lawsuit against "these disgusting excuses for law enforcement".

Hampshire Police have issued a public apology for handcuffing Nowak and referred themselves to the Independent Office for Police Conduct. A spokesperson for the office said, "We are independently investigating the contact Hampshire and Isle of Wight officers had with Nowak prior to his death, including the use of handcuffs by officers and the first aid provided."

Digwa is scheduled to be sentenced on Monday and his mother on July 17.
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