Sikh celebration in Southampton is cancelled over safety fears after riots following Henry Nowak murder

Sikh celebrations in Southampton have been canceled due to security concerns following riots in the city earlier this week following the murder of Henry Nowak.

Southampton was rocked by violent unrest on Tuesday evening after Vickrum Digwa, 23, was jailed for at least 21 years on Monday after stabbing Henry to death last year.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police came under intense scrutiny for their behavior after officers handcuffed Henry and ignored his pleas that he had been stabbed and that he could not breathe.

Digwa, who is Sikh, had lied to police about being the victim of a racist attack at the hands of Henry.

A funeral home in the city had planned to host an open event for Sikh residents and the wider community this afternoon, to which the mayor and local councilors were invited.

The event was held to celebrate the life of Tracey Burrows-Chungh’s father-in-law, Sikh man Gian Singh-Chungh.

Mr Singh-Chungh died in December 2025, aged 87. The event was also a tribute to his late wife Gurbax Kaur-Chungh, who died in 2014.

However, following protests earlier this week, the event was cancelled.

Vickrum Digwa (pictured), 23, was sentenced to a minimum of 21 years in prison on Monday after stabbing Henry to death.

Protests in Southampton followed the murder of Henry Nowak (pictured) in December last year.

Tracey Burrows-Chungh, who has worked as a funeral director for five years, said the event planned for Friday was canceled after what she described as a “riot”.

He said: ‘This is due to recent events and concerns for the health and safety of our staff and the community. We’re in a quandary here, we’re living in worrying times.’

The celebration was planned to be held in bars and hotels in Southampton.

Ms Burrows-Chungh’s husband and Mr Singh-Chungh’s youngest son, Joga Chungh, said his father would have been ‘disappointed’ if he were alive after Digwa killed Henry.

‘Thank God this isn’t something that happens regularly,’ he said.

‘He was part of the local Gurdwara committee on Cranbury Avenue and would not have been happy with the actions of a member of the Sikh community.’

Southampton is home to a sizeable and prominent Sikh community, including Satvir Kaur, one of the local Labor MPs.

Speaking about the backlash following Digwa’s sentence, Mr Chungh said: ‘There is a small minority who think that everyone who wears a hijab is of the same mindset.’

The event was to celebrate the life of Sikh man Gian Singh-Chungh (pictured). He died in December 2025, aged 87. The event was also a tribute to his late wife Gurbax Kaur-Chungh, who died in 2014.

Mr Singh-Chungh and his late wife Gurbax Kaur-Chungh, who died in 2014. The celebration was to be held in bars and hotels in Southampton.

He added that reports of other Sikhs receiving threats had led him not to go out as much as he normally did.

Mrs Burrows-Chungh said of her father-in-law: ‘He was a really lovely man and worked so hard to achieve what he did, he was so proud to be the first Asian publican.

‘I just wanted to make us all feel better and bring some love to the community.’

The purpose of the event was to celebrate the wider Sikh community and all the families he and the funeral home have cared for over the years.

He said: ‘It is sad what happened, someone lost his life in a terrible way.

‘This is one family that has truly upset the world.’

Ms Burrows-Chungh, who married into a Sikh family, said she had always felt ‘very safe, included and respected’ by the community.

He said: ‘They are lovely people, humble people and work hard for their status and inclusion here.

‘This family went and caused carnage, it affects my business and it affects everyone.’

He added: ‘It’s scary when the riots happen, especially for people living in Southampton.

‘I see it from both angles, I think what happened is very bad.’

He said: ‘This is so sad, we just feel sorry for the family, I have children that age and it breaks my heart.

‘My heart goes out to the boy’s family and the Sikh community.’

11 police officers and a police dog were injured during Tuesday’s demonstrations.

Two men appeared at Southampton Magistrates’ Court yesterday: Daniel Frost, 44, who pleaded guilty to violent disorder and possessing a dog collar with a metal carabiner, and Matt Styler, 50, who pleaded not guilty to assaulting a police officer.

Today, three more men – Connor Bishop, 24, Reece Robinson, 21, and Noah Etherington, 18 – were charged with violent disorder.

Flare flares were thrown at police during demonstrations in Southampton earlier this week

They will appear at Southampton Magistrates’ Court today.

The conduct of the officers who arrested Henry is now being investigated by police watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), and the force’s Chief Constable Alexis Boon has apologized to the teenager’s family.

Hundreds of people, including far-right activists such as Tommy Robinson, descended on Southampton on Tuesday despite Henry’s father, Mark Nowak, arguing before the court on Monday that his son’s murder should not be used to ’cause further hatred, division or tension’.

The protest began outside Southampton Police Station before approaching Digwa’s family home, where rubbish bins were set on fire and residents’ cars were vandalised.

Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Sir Keir Starmer described the demonstrations as ‘disgraceful and completely unacceptable’.

The Prime Minister said: ‘Henry Nowak’s family showed extraordinary dignity after their son’s life was stolen in appalling circumstances.

He was clearly a kind, thoughtful and much-loved young man.

‘There are serious questions that need to be answered, including how accusations of racism affect police thinking, and we support the IOPC to get to the bottom of what is going on.

‘But whatever pain we feel, there is no justification for further violence and disorder. ‘The attacks on police officers in Southampton last night were disgraceful and completely unacceptable.’

Sir Keir added that anyone found involved in the disorder would be dealt with “to the full force of the law”.

The Daily Mail has approached Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary for comment.