Henry Nowak, a white university student from Southampton, England, died after being repeatedly stabbed with an eight-inch Sikh ceremonial dagger while police officers had him in handcuffs. The incident occurred on December 3, 2023, following allegations by his alleged killer, Vikrum Digwa, 23, that Nowak was racist.
Details emerging at Southampton Crown Court reveal Digwa, who carries a Sikh kirpan knife as part of his religious obligation, also possessed an eight-inch shastar dagger. According to court documents, the confrontation began when Digwa approached Nowak on the street after he returned from a night out. Digwa reportedly told Nowak, “I’m a bad man,” in a video captured by a bystander. Digwa then stabbed Nowak multiple times and pursued him aggressively before police arrived at the scene.
The officers arrested Nowak based solely on Digwa’s claim of racial abuse, but Nowak passed out while handcuffed and died from his injuries despite emergency medical intervention by police and an air ambulance doctor. Prosecutor Nicholas Lobbenberg KC stated: “Digwa didn’t seek help for the man he had injured with his sizeable knife, instead he accused him of being a racist and being drunk. Vikrum said [Nowak] had not been stabbed. This was a lie. This was a man Vikrum Digwa stabbed more than once.”
Digwa is currently on trial for murder and weapons offenses, denying all charges. His mother, Kiran Kaur, faces separate allegations of assisting in the attack. The case has intensified public concerns about two-tier policing in Britain, with critics noting that officers prioritized the alleged racial abuse claims over the fatal injuries inflicted on Nowak.
