The Sikh Federation has accused the Home Office of unfairly focusing on the kirpan in what it says is an attempt to divert attention from police failings linked to the murder of Henry Nowak.
Officers handcuffed the 18-year-old as he lay fatally wounded after his alleged attacker falsely claimed that Mr Nowak had directed racial abuse at him.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has said she is considering changes to knife legislation after Mr Nowak was fatally stabbed by Vickrum Digwa in Southampton on December 3.
Her remarks followed calls from Mr Nowak’s father, Mark, for greater clarity over the law governing the definition and appearance of a Sikh kirpan, a sacred blade carried by some Sikhs as an expression of their faith.
In a statement, the Sikh Federation said: ‘The Home Office is attempting to deflect attention away from the real failings by the police and other Government agencies in the Henry Nowak case by inappropriately targeting the kirpan – a sacred article of Sikh faith – despite the clear fact that the murder weapon was not a kirpan.’
Dabinderjit Singh, the organisation’s chief executive for political engagement, said: ‘The Home Office appears to be using this case as a deflection tactic.
‘The facts are clear: the murder weapon was not a kirpan.
‘Rather than confronting the failures that allowed this tragedy to unfold, the Government is permitting inaccurate and damaging narratives about the Sikh faith to spread.
Vickrum Digwa, 23, was handed a minimum 21-year prison term for the murder of Henry Nowak
Henry Nowak, 18, was fatally stabbed in Southampton by Vickrum Digwa on December 3
Dabinderjit Singh, the Sikh Federation’s chief executive for political engagement, is seeking an urgent meeting with the Government over what the group calls discriminatory treatment of the Sikh faith
‘That is completely unacceptable.’
The Sikh Federation is urging more than 250 Gurdwaras, or Sikh places of worship, to write to Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
Thousands of Sikhs are also expected to contact their MPs, calling on the Home Office to end what the group describes as a discriminatory approach and to engage properly with Sikh organisations.
The federation has called for an urgent meeting with the Government.
Mr Singh said: ‘Sikhs support public safety and efforts to tackle knife crime.
‘But we will not accept the sacred kirpan being wrongly linked to a murder weapon that was not a kirpan.
‘The Home Office must abandon this divisive and irresponsible agenda and meet with Sikh institutions without delay.’
Digwa was initially sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 21 years. However, the Court of Appeal increased the term to 25 years on Thursday after ruling that the original sentence was ‘unduly lenient’.
Police bodycam footage showed officers handcuffing Henry as he lay dying after Digwa falsely alleged that he had been racially abusive
Vickrum Digwa’s mother, Kiran Kaur, received a three-year sentence for assisting an offender and may be released within weeks
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Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is weighing changes to knife laws after Henry’s father sought a clearer legal definition of the Sikh kirpan
Digwa recorded Henry as he lay dying, including close-up footage of his face.
He and his brother verbally taunted Henry, calling him abusive names, accusing him of being drunk and attempting to make him sit upright.
At Digwa’s sentencing hearing in June, Judge William Mousley KC said the killer had been carrying a kirpan concealed from view on the night of the murder.
Digwa also possessed a ‘large dagger in a sheath’ measuring 21cm, which he carried because he belonged to the Nihang order of Sikhs, whose members have a tradition of carrying a second knife.
Although carrying a knife in public is generally unlawful, exemptions apply in certain circumstances, including work and religious practice. The Sikh kirpan is covered by one such exemption.
Mr Nowak’s father told ITV News that the law should specify the permitted size and type of kirpan, as well as whether it must be worn visibly.
Henry’s family said they would endure a ‘lifetime of grief’, but welcomed the longer sentence.
They added that their campaign for truth, accountability and meaningful change would continue.
Mr Nowak said: ‘And therefore, anything else should be made illegal.’
Asked about his proposal, Ms Mahmood told the same broadcaster: ‘I haven’t taken any options off the table.
‘I’m also not going in with a fixed mind about what the right clarifications of the law might be.
Henry’s family welcomed the increase in Digwa’s sentence but said they face a ‘lifetime of grief’ and will continue seeking truth and accountability
Henry’s father, Mark Nowak, has called for legislation to clarify the size, type and visibility requirements for a Sikh kirpan
‘It is important to strike the right balance between religious expression in this country, something that many people of faith, myself included, hold very dearly, while ensuring that it remains within the standards we expect of citizens under criminal law.’
Digwa’s mother, Kiran Kaur, was jailed for three years in July after admitting that she assisted an offender by concealing the murder weapon.
She is expected to be released next month, in December 2026, after serving roughly a year under the Government’s early-release scheme.
Henry’s family said the timing, close to the first anniversary of his murder, was especially cruel.
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said politicians ‘do need to look at’ knife laws. She added: ‘There is no freedom to murder in any religion and I think that we need to bring some common sense into this.’
The Independent Office for Police Conduct said its investigation into possible failings in the police response to Mr Nowak’s stabbing is expected to conclude early next year. The watchdog announced in July that two officers were being investigated for potential gross misconduct.