Sikh leaders have condemned the actions of Vickrum Digwa, the 23-year-old Nihang Sikh from Southampton jailed for life with a minimum term of 21 years for the murder of 18-year-old student Henry Nowak, saying he alone was responsible for the killing and that his actions were contrary to Sikh teachings and values.
Digwa was convicted last week of murdering Nowak, a student at the University of Southampton, during a late-night confrontation in Southampton in December last year.
Judge William Mousley KC said Digwa was carrying a large Sikh dagger associated with the Nihang tradition. The court heard that the unarmed student was fatally stabbed during the encounter.
Southampton, a major south-coast port city in Hampshire, is home to a long-established Sikh community and several gurdwaras.
According to the sentencing remarks, the fatal encounter began shortly after 11 pm on December 3 when Digwa and Nowak passed each other on a Southampton street. The judge said Nowak, who was alone and unarmed, made a comment after noticing the large dagger Digwa was carrying. A confrontation followed and Digwa stabbed the student in the chest and three other times. The judge described Nowak as “defenceless".
The judge said Digwa then showed a “callous disregard" for the teenager’s welfare, filming him as he desperately tried to escape after being stabbed and continuing to record him as he suffered from his injuries. Digwa also falsely claimed that Nowak had made racist remarks before the attack, allegations later rejected by the court.
Speaking at a press conference at Guru Nanak Gurdwara in Smethwick following Monday’s sentencing, Jas Singh, representing the Sikh Federation (UK), one of Britain’s leading Sikh advocacy organisations, said the Sikh community condemned Digwa’s actions “fully and in the strongest terms".
“We condemn this action, fully and in the strongest terms," Singh said.
“There’s no space for this and anybody who has been convinced or unclear we will be very categorical.
“This individual Vickrum Digwa lied in his statements."
Singh said Digwa alone was responsible for the fatal attack.
“It happened, it escalated," he said.
“After it escalated, Vickrum had the choice.
“He chose to do what he did and for that he is solely responsible."
In one of his strongest comments, Singh rejected any suggestion that Digwa’s actions were compatible with Sikh teachings.
“It was his choice to draw a weapon and to use it in an offensive manner," he said.
“That does not correlate with the Sikh tenets of the Sikh faith.
“We made that very clear."
Singh said Digwa’s conduct had placed the wider Sikh community under scrutiny and created concerns about how the faith would be perceived.
“With that action, he has brought the whole Sikh community into the spotlight," he said.
“Whether intended or unintended, we now have to deal with that and we now not only repair the damage done, but we have to collectively protect not only the community, but the Kakaar as well."
The comments were echoed by Southampton Gurdwara, which issued its own statement following the sentencing.
A spokesman for the council of Southampton Gurdwara said Digwa’s actions were “in direct contradiction to Sikh teachings and values that have guided Sikh communities for more than five centuries, including in Britain for more than 150 years".
The spokesman also praised the conduct of Henry Nowak’s family.
“Throughout this difficult period, we have been struck by the dignity and moral strength shown by Henry’s family," the statement said.
The gurdwara added that Henry’s death should not be used to create divisions between communities.
In his sentencing remarks, Judge Mousley also addressed the religious significance of the kirpan. He said it was “a fundamental principle of Sikhism" that a kirpan is worn as a symbol of religious faith and “is never to be carried for an offensive purpose".
He added that it was a religious and legal requirement that a kirpan should only be used offensively “as a last resort", including in lawful self-defence.
Discussing the right of practising Sikhs to carry kirpans, the judge said: “The privilege extended to practising Sikhs of being allowed to be in public with a bladed article and, particularly in respect of the large dagger, a highly dangerous weapon, easily accessible to the wearer, brings with it huge responsibility."
Sentencing Digwa at Southampton Crown Court, Judge Mousley said the defendant had “brought shame upon your family, your community and your religion".
He said Digwa’s actions had “stirred up racial tension in Southampton and across the country" and had left many Sikhs worried about their own safety despite having “done absolutely nothing wrong".
The judge also rejected Digwa’s claims that Henry Nowak had made racist remarks before the attack.
“I am sure that Henry had said nothing racist," he said. “You are the only person to make that claim and it is completely at odds with his previous character."
The case has attracted national attention not only because of the killing itself but also because Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary is under investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct over officers’ handling of the incident after Nowak was stabbed.
Digwa was sentenced to life imprisonment and must serve a minimum of 21 years before he can be considered for parole.
