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A Sikh advocacy group is urging the government to launch a public inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of Henry Nowak. The Sikh Federation, through its political engagement chief Dabinderjit Singh, has addressed letters to key government officials including the Home Secretary, Justice Secretary, and Attorney General, emphasizing concerns over multiple failings linked to the case.
Central to the controversy is misinformation about the murder weapon used in the fatal stabbing by Vickrum Digwa. Bodycam footage released by Hampshire police, with the family’s consent, captured Nowak pleading “I can’t breathe” while restrained in handcuffs. Singh highlighted the impact this misinformation has had on the Sikh community, reporting an increase in harassment and abuse directed at Sikhs in Southampton since the case gained public attention. He condemned Digwa for falsely claiming the weapon as a kirpan and called for a judge-led public inquiry to address what he described as systemic failures and to alleviate community tensions.
Current law allows Sikhs to carry a kirpan—a small blade—as part of their religious practice, provided it’s not used aggressively. However, the weapon used to kill Nowak was identified by the trial judge as a larger Sikh dagger, not a kirpan. Sikh groups dispute the classification, describing the murder weapon as a “Persian blade known as a pesh-kabz,” associated with a warrior sect. The Crown Prosecution Service maintained that Digwa took responsibility for carrying two ceremonial knives and that the larger blade involved was indeed a kirpan as per the judge’s ruling. The case raised legal and cultural complexities regarding the weapon’s identity and its implications.
The upcoming inquest will examine broader aspects of Nowak’s death, especially whether police actions or omissions contributed to it, as Hampshire’s coroner Jason Pegg has noted. While the court trial established the manner of death, the inquest aims to provide transparency and address public concerns, especially since Nowak died while in state custody. The coroner also acknowledged that human rights obligations linked to the right to life were triggered by this case. Meanwhile, the Independent Office for Police Conduct is investigating the police response, though no judgments about their conduct have yet been made
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