The Sikh Federation has accused the Home Office of targeting the kirpan to divert attention from alleged police failings surrounding the death of 18-year-old Henry Nowak in Southampton.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is considering changes to knife legislation after Mr Nowak’s father, Mark, called for greater clarity over the size, type and visibility of a Sikh kirpan, a sacred article carried by some Sikhs as an expression of their faith.
Mr Nowak was fatally stabbed by Vickrum Digwa on December 3. Police handcuffed him as he lay dying after Digwa allegedly falsely claimed that he had been subjected to racial abuse.
The Sikh Federation said the weapon used to kill Mr Nowak was not a kirpan and accused the Government of allowing “inaccurate and harmful narratives about the Sikh faith” to develop.
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.
“Yet instead of addressing the failures that allowed this tragedy to happen, the Government is now allowing inaccurate and harmful narratives about the Sikh faith to take hold. That is unacceptable.”
The federation is encouraging more than 250 gurdwaras, or Sikh places of worship, to write to Prime Minister Andy Burnham. It also expects thousands of Sikhs to contact MPs, demanding that the Home Office stop what it described as a discriminatory approach and engage with Sikh organisations.
Mr Singh said Sikhs supported public safety and efforts to tackle knife crime, but added: “We will not accept the sacred kirpan being falsely associated with a murder weapon that was not a kirpan.”
He called for an urgent meeting with the Government, saying: “The Home Office must stop this divisive and irresponsible agenda and meet Sikh institutions immediately.”
Calls for greater clarity on kirpan laws
Carrying a knife in public is generally illegal, although exceptions exist for work and religious reasons, including the Sikh kirpan.
At Digwa’s sentencing hearing, Judge William Mousley KC said the killer had a kirpan hidden from view on the night of the murder. Digwa also had a 21cm “large dagger in a sheath”, which the court heard was linked to his membership of the Nihang order of Sikhs, who have a tradition of carrying a second knife.
Mr Nowak’s father told ITV News that the law should specify the permitted size and type of a kirpan, and whether it must be visible. Asked about his proposal, Ms Mahmood said: “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.”
She said it was important to balance religious expression with expectations under criminal law.
Digwa was initially sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 21 years. The Court of Appeal increased the minimum term to 25 years on Thursday after finding the sentence “unduly lenient”.
His mother, Kiran Kaur, was jailed for three years in July for assisting an offender after hiding the murder weapon. She is expected to be released next month under the Government’s early release scheme, having served approximately one year.
Mr Nowak’s family said they faced a “lifetime of grief” but welcomed the increased sentence, adding that their fight for truth, accountability and meaningful change was not over.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct said its investigation into potential failures in the police response to the stabbing was expected to conclude early next year. Two officers were announced in July to be under investigation for potential gross misconduct.
