Sikh Federation Issues Strong Warning to Home Office Over Proposed Knife Law Changes Following the Murder of 18-Year-Old Henry Nowak

The Sikh Federation has accused the Home Office of unfairly targeting a sacred Sikh religious knife following the murder of 18-year-old Henry Nowak in Southampton.

The organisation believes the Government is trying to shift attention away from serious questions about how police handled the case.

Henry was stabbed to death by Vickrum Digwa on December 3. Police officers later handcuffed the teenager while he was lying on the ground, seriously injured and dying, after Digwa falsely accused him of making racist comments.

The incident has raised serious concerns about the police response, with an investigation now looking into whether officers failed in their duties.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has since suggested that the Government could consider changing knife laws following calls from Henry’s father, Mark Nowak.

Mark wants the law to clearly explain what type of Sikh religious knife, known as a kirpan, can legally be carried in public. He believes there should be clear rules about its size, appearance and whether it must be visible.

However, the Sikh Federation strongly disagrees with the way the issue is being handled.

The organisation says the weapon used to murder Henry was not a kirpan and believes it is wrong to connect the killing with an important part of the Sikh religion.

Dabinderjit Singh, who is responsible for political engagement at the Sikh Federation, accused the Home Office of using the case to distract people from the real problems.

He said the Government should be looking closely at the mistakes that may have allowed the tragedy to happen rather than creating what he described as misleading stories about the Sikh faith.

According to him, the murder weapon was not a kirpan, and the Government should not allow people to believe otherwise.

The Sikh Federation has now called for an urgent meeting with government officials to discuss its concerns.

The organisation is also encouraging more than 250 Sikh places of worship, known as Gurdwaras, to write to Prime Minister Andy Burnham.

Thousands of Sikhs are also expected to contact their local MPs to ask the Government to stop what the federation describes as unfair treatment of their religion.

Mr Singh made it clear that Sikhs support public safety and efforts to reduce knife crime across Britain.

However, he said the community would not accept a sacred religious item being wrongly connected to a murder involving a different weapon.

Meanwhile, Digwa, 23, was originally sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years for killing Henry.

His minimum prison term was later increased to 25 years after the Court of Appeal ruled that the original sentence was too short.

During the court proceedings, disturbing details emerged about what happened after Henry was attacked.

Digwa reportedly filmed the teenager as he lay dying, including taking close-up footage of his face.

He and his brother also mocked Henry, called him insulting names and accused him of being drunk while he was seriously injured.

Police bodycam footage later showed officers placing Henry in handcuffs after Digwa made a false claim that the teenager had racially abused him.

The footage caused further concern about how the police dealt with the situation.

During the sentencing hearing, Judge William Mousley KC explained that Digwa had been carrying a kirpan hidden from view on the night of the murder.

He also had another weapon, described as a large dagger measuring 21 centimetres.

The court heard that Digwa belonged to a Sikh group known as the Nihang, whose traditions include carrying a second knife.

Under current UK law, carrying a knife in public is generally illegal unless there is a lawful reason. Religious reasons are among the recognised exceptions, including the carrying of a Sikh kirpan.

Henry’s father believes the law needs to be clearer to prevent dangerous weapons from being carried under religious exemptions.

Speaking to ITV News, Mark Nowak said the Government should clearly define the permitted size and type of kirpan and whether it must be openly displayed.

He believes knives that fall outside those rules should be illegal.

When asked about his concerns, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said she had not ruled out changing the law.

However, she explained that she wanted to carefully consider the options before making a final decision.

She said it was important to protect people’s freedom to practise their religion while also making sure the law keeps the public safe.

The case has also attracted comments from Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch, who believes politicians should examine the existing knife laws.

She argued that religious freedom should never be used to justify murder and said common sense was needed when dealing with the issue.

Henry’s family have welcomed the decision to increase Digwa’s minimum prison sentence from 21 to 25 years.

However, they say the longer sentence cannot take away the pain of losing their son.

The family explained that they will live with the grief for the rest of their lives and remain determined to seek answers, accountability and meaningful changes.

Another painful development for the family concerns Digwa’s mother, Kiran Kaur.

She was sentenced to three years in prison in July after being found guilty of helping an offender by hiding the murder weapon.

Reports suggest she could be released in December 2026 under the Government’s early release arrangements, after serving approximately one year in custody.

Henry’s family have described the possibility of her release around the first anniversary of his death as particularly upsetting.

At the same time, questions remain about the actions of the police officers who attended the scene.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct has confirmed that its investigation into possible failures in the police response is expected to finish early next year.

Two police officers are being investigated for potential gross misconduct.

The investigation will examine whether the officers acted appropriately and whether their handling of the incident fell below expected standards.

For Henry’s family, the case is about more than the prison sentence handed to his killer. They want to understand exactly what went wrong and ensure that lessons are learned.

For the Sikh Federation, the concern is that changes to knife laws could unfairly affect religious practices even though the organisation insists that the murder weapon was not a kirpan.

The disagreement has now created a wider debate about religious freedom, public safety and whether the Government needs to introduce clearer rules about knives carried for religious reasons.

As the police investigation continues and the Government considers possible changes to the law, Henry’s family say they will continue fighting for justice and answers about the circumstances surrounding his death.