The justice system facilitated a highly damaging wave of misinformation
A Sikh lobby group claims the justice system allowed a false characterization of the murder weapon to stand unchallenged, fueling misinformation that damaged the Sikh community's reputation. At least a dozen incidents of physical and verbal abuse against Sikhs in Southampton have followed the case, with school children and workers facing harassment in their daily lives.
- Henry Nowak died after being stabbed and placed in handcuffs by police
- At least a dozen incidents of physical or verbal abuse against Sikhs in Southampton have followed the case
- The murder weapon was a pesh-kabz (Persian blade), not a kirpan (curved ceremonial knife), but the defendant's false claim went unchallenged in court
- A jury inquest is scheduled for next year; the IOPC is investigating police conduct
The Sikh Federation is calling for a public inquiry into the death of Henry Nowak, citing police failures and misinformation about the murder weapon that has sparked community backlash and hate incidents against Sikhs.
A Sikh advocacy group is demanding a government-led public inquiry into the death of Henry Nowak and the police response that followed, arguing that systemic failures and unchallenged misinformation have inflicted lasting damage on the Sikh community itself.
Dabinderjit Singh, chief executive of political engagement for the Sikh Federation, has written directly to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, Justice Secretary David Lammy, and Attorney General Richard Hermer. His letter centers on a specific grievance: that the justice system allowed a convicted murderer's false description of the weapon used to kill Nowak to persist unchallenged in open court, creating a wave of harmful misinformation about Sikh religious practice.
The case hinges on a distinction that has become central to the community's anger. Digwa, who killed Nowak, carried two blades. One was a kirpan—a small ceremonial knife that practicing Sikhs are legally permitted to wear as part of their faith. The other was what the trial judge described as "a large Sikh dagger," the actual murder weapon. The Sikh Federation and the Network of Sikh Organisations have identified this second blade as a pesh-kabz, a Persian weapon designed to penetrate chainmail, worn as part of a Nihang warrior-sect subculture—not a kirpan at all. Yet during sentencing, Digwa claimed the murder weapon was his kirpan. The Crown Prosecution Service and the judge accepted this characterization. Singh's letter argues that the prosecution and police possessed the weapon for over six months and knew, or should have known, that its straight blade made it impossible to be a kirpan, which by law must feature a curved blade. By allowing the lie to stand, Singh writes, the justice system "facilitated a highly damaging wave of misinformation."
The consequences have rippled through the Sikh community in Southampton and beyond. Singh told the BBC that at least a dozen incidents of physical and verbal abuse targeting Sikhs have followed the case. School children face harassment. Workers cannot perform their jobs without fear. The false association between the kirpan—a sacred religious object—and murder has poisoned public perception. "People can't do their daily jobs, school children at school are being harassed," Singh said. "In the court they said 'Digwa said it was his Kirpan.' Well he was a liar—he's a liar and he's a murderer."
Singh is calling for a judge-led public inquiry to investigate what he describes as "failures" and "serious questions" about whether Nowak's death was preventable. His letter raises questions about police risk assessments, whether systemic biases led to the immediate criminalization of a dying victim, and the conduct of officers during the arrest. Body camera footage released by Hampshire police, with the family's permission, showed Nowak repeatedly telling officers "I can't breathe" as he lay dying in handcuffs after being stabbed. A pathologist later testified that Nowak would not have survived regardless of how quickly he received first aid or medical treatment, but the broader question of police conduct remains unresolved.
A jury inquest is scheduled for next year to investigate the circumstances surrounding Nowak's death. Hampshire coroner Jason Pegg determined there was sufficient reason to proceed, citing the significant public scrutiny, the fact that Nowak died while in police custody, and the legal obligations under Article 2 of the Human Rights Act. The Independent Office for Police Conduct is also investigating the police response, and the National Police Chiefs' Council has announced a review of anti-racism guidance that some have blamed for influencing how the arresting officers approached the situation.
Singh said he expects a government response within days. The Home Office has acknowledged the Sikh community's concerns and condemned hate crime, pledging to work with police and partners to strengthen protections for faith communities. But for Singh and the Sikh Federation, the inquiry represents something more fundamental: a chance to correct the record, to establish that the weapon used to kill Nowak was not a kirpan, and to prevent future misunderstandings that pit religious communities against one another. The case has exposed not just a failure of police procedure, but what Singh sees as a failure of the justice system itself to distinguish between a sacred object and a tool of violence—a distinction that now carries the weight of community safety.
Citações Notáveis
In the court they said 'Digwa said it was his Kirpan.' Well he was a liar—he's a liar and he's a murderer.— Dabinderjit Singh, Sikh Federation
By allowing a convicted murderer's false characterisation of the weapon to stand unchallenged in open court, the justice system facilitated a highly damaging wave of misinformation.— Dabinderjit Singh, in letter to government officials
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why does it matter so much whether the weapon was called a kirpan or something else? It was still used to kill someone.
Because once that name stuck in the courtroom, it became the story people told. A kirpan is a religious object, protected by law. When people heard that a Sikh killed someone with his kirpan, they didn't hear "a man committed murder." They heard "Sikhs carry weapons." The distinction between a sacred object and a tool of violence got erased.
And the police had the actual weapon for six months before trial?
Yes. They held it, examined it. The prosecution knew its blade was straight, not curved. They knew it didn't match the legal definition of a kirpan. But when the defendant lied about it in court, nobody corrected him. The judge accepted his version. That's what Singh means by the system facilitating misinformation.
What's happened to Sikhs in Southampton since the conviction?
At least a dozen documented incidents of abuse—physical and verbal. Children being harassed at school. Workers unable to do their jobs safely. The community is being treated as though they're collectively responsible for one man's crime, because the weapon got mislabeled as something sacred to their faith.
Is there any chance the pathologist's finding—that Nowak would have died anyway—changes what the inquiry will look for?
It might narrow the focus, but it doesn't answer the questions about police conduct. Even if the stab wound was fatal, the question remains: did the officers' response, their risk assessments, their decisions in those moments, contribute to how things unfolded? That's what the inquest will examine.
What does Singh want from a public inquiry that an inquest won't provide?
An inquest focuses on how and why someone died. An inquiry can examine systemic failures—whether anti-racism guidance influenced how officers approached the scene, whether there were intelligence failures, whether the immediate criminalization of a dying victim reflected deeper biases. Singh wants the system itself held accountable, not just the individual who wielded the blade.