A Sikh taxi driver has been filmed shaking hands and fist bumping protesters marching in Southampton over the murder of 18-year-old student Henry Nowak. Kulwinder Singh, 47, welcomed the demonstration, stating, 'I'm part of the Sikh faith so I welcome them. They are my brothers and sisters. I'm not worried at all, they're welcome at the Gurdwara.'
Community response to the killing
Mr Singh, who greeted protesters before violent clashes with police, added: 'It's nothing to do with the faith. We should keep people together.' The murder has ignited political debate over policing and laws allowing the carrying of knives for religious reasons. Reform UK's Nigel Farage cited the case as evidence of a 'two-tier culture', which Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer denied in the Commons. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch called it a 'seminal moment' in the fight against racism.
Henry Nowak was arrested in Southampton last December after being attacked by knife-obsessed Sikh Vickrum Digwa, 23, who pretended to be a racial attack victim. Officers pinned the fatally injured teenager to the ground as he gasped 'I've been stabbed', with one officer scoffing, 'Don't think you have, mate.'
Impact on the Sikh community
Some 525,865 people in England and Wales identify as Sikh, and the murder has caused fury within the community. Jas Singh from the Sikh Federation UK told Times Radio that Digwa 'used the religion to mask and hide and defend him in an indefensible crime'. He added: 'That is something we do not accept, we do not tolerate and we have condemned in the strongest terms.'
The case has been described as a 'watershed moment' for Sikhs. Mr Singh was asked about growing calls for a review of laws allowing knives for religious reasons. The police and crime commissioner for Hampshire has written to the Prime Minister demanding a review after Digwa was described as carrying a 'Sikh dagger'. The Sikh Federation insists the weapon 'was not a kirpan', which can be legally carried as an article of faith. Digwa carried a large dagger in a sheath around his neck, as well as a small traditional kirpan under his clothing.
Mr Singh said: 'We understand the emotion and grief, especially Henry's family – and again I want to offer our deepest condolences. But we should not let that blind our thinking of a whole community that's been well integrated for decades. I think it's vital we understand and separate the two.'
Political and legal implications
The Sikh Federation also said claims that Digwa killed Nowak using the ceremonial dagger had 'unnecessarily brought our sacred kirpan into disrepute and increased verbal and physical abuse against Sikhs'. Parm Sandhu, former chief superintendent in the Met Police, told BBC Radio 4 that 'you should not say all Sikhs shouldn't carry the kirpan because of what this individual did'.
Commissioner Donna Jones called the murder a 'national tragedy'. She noted that 'central to this incident is the fact that Vickrum Digwa was able to carry a knife in public because there is an exemption for those who observe the Sikh faith to carry ceremonial daggers.' Zia Yusuf, Reform UK's home affairs spokesman, said: 'Nobody other than law enforcement will get to carry deadly weapons under a Reform government.'
Henry's family cautioned against 'knee-jerk reactions' but said 'people should not be able to walk openly through the streets of Britain carrying a 21cm blade'. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood suggested a review of exemptions is 'worthy of serious consideration' but declined to agree to a formal review. She added: 'Carrying a knife for religious observance is one thing. Using it is quite another.'
Legal context and expert views
Judge William Mousley KC said there was a 'huge responsibility' for Sikhs in being allowed to carry a knife in public, 'particularly in respect of the large dagger'. Under current law, such a blade should not exceed 9 inches, but the College of Policing advises there is 'no legally prescribed size' of a kirpan under the Criminal Justice Act 1988. The Offensive Weapons Act 2019 reaffirmed the right to possess and supply kirpans.
Experts say there has never been an attack or murder associated with the kirpan until this case. Professor Gurnam Singh of the University of Warwick, who gave evidence at the trial, disagreed with banning kirpans but said there was 'no good reason' for Digwa to have a second knife. 'Young Sikhs need to realise they have no automatic right to carry weapons unless there is a demonstrable religious reason,' he said.
The Prime Minister's spokesman said: 'Long-standing legal protections are in place for Sikhs to carry kirpans as an article of faith, but our laws are clear that any bladed article used to threaten or harm others is illegal.'
Protests and aftermath
Yesterday, two people were arrested for assaulting police and possession of a weapon after hundreds gathered outside Southampton Central Police Station. Violent scenes broke out as demonstrators chanted 'Henry, Henry' and pelted police with bricks, chairs, cans, and flares. Digwa was given a life sentence with a minimum of 21 years for stabbing Henry. He had previously been investigated in 2023 for stealing ceremonial blades from a Sikh temple, but no further action was taken.
The police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), is expected to report within three months. Hampshire Police confirmed that one officer involved has resigned, while the other three are still serving, all treated as witnesses.
