Questions over Henry killer’s family grow as Sikhs turn their backs after claim hiding weapon was ‘what any mother would do’ and road rage video emerges

The family of Henry Nowak’s killer was ostracized by the Sikh community as the murder became a nationwide fight.

Vickrum Digwa stabbed the innocent student multiple times before lying to police about being a racist in a disturbing case that sparked national outrage.

Henry, 18, was handcuffed as he lay dying on the pavement, despite telling arresting officers, ‘I can’t breathe’.

Digwa, 23, who repeatedly stabbed the innocent student before telling police he was a racist, was sentenced to life in prison on Monday, sparking mass protests marred by violence in Southampton.

Mail revealed that Digwa’s family members have gone into hiding in recent days for fear of reprisals.

We have now learned that members of the wider Sikh community also fear that they may be unfairly targeted due to the febrile atmosphere in the city.

And there is widespread anger among local Sikhs at the Digwa family for ‘bringing trouble to our doorstep’ by their failure to cope with ‘difficult child’ Digwa and his growing interest in knives.

It comes as we reveal the murderer’s brother, Gurpreet Digwa, was filmed holding a Sikh ceremonial sword on the street during a traffic fight outside a Hindu temple.

The family was already facing criticism as the killer’s mother, Kiran Kaur, was faced with punishing or aiding the culprit after removing the murder weapon from the scene; Grandma Bimla Kaur defended the move: ‘She just did what any mother would do.’

Digwa and his family are Nihang Sikhs, a martial sect that bills itself as ‘commandos’ of the faith and prides itself on their skill in using swords, knives and other weapons.

Vickrum Digwa stabbed the innocent student multiple times before lying to police about being a racist in a disturbing case that sparked national outrage.

Jas Singh, a Nihang who knew Digwa, said: ‘Digwa is a fake Nihang.’

He added: ‘Yes, guns are important to us and we are learning to use them, but it is made clear that they can only be used to protect faith, ensure justice and defend the innocent, not kill.

‘The Nihangs are an honest and noble people, but the Digwa were neither of these. He was just another thug and simpleton, no different from the others you commonly see on the streets of Britain.

‘Being a Nihang is more than having weapons and dressing a certain way.’

Another Gurdwara regular added: ‘Digwa was really mean to him, misbehaved and thought he could get away with anything.

‘A lot of people in this area didn’t like him or some of his family and we’ll be happy to see them through because they embarrassed us all.’

Even Digwa’s grandmother, 75-year-old Bimla Kaur, said that by killing Henry, he broke the family’s legacy.

He told the Daily Mail: ‘Vickrum was committed to this [Nihang] lifestyle meant everything to him. Having Nihangs in this family is an important part of our faith and something I am proud of.

‘But these weapons were not intended to be used on innocents, so something went wrong. This whole case has devastated two families: Henry’s and mine. What also makes me sad is that our entire community is now being targeted with all this talk about banning kirpans. [Sikh knives].

Digwa’s brother Gurpreet (left) and their father Moga Singh (right) face charges of possession of an offensive weapon

Digwa’s mother, Kiran Kaur, was found guilty of aiding the criminal by removing the gun from the scene of Henry Nowak’s murder.

Separately, the Daily Mail revealed that Vickrum’s sister, Gurpreet Digwa, 27, was filmed carrying a sword next to her Mercedes during a road accident in Southampton.

The knife-obsessed Digwa regularly participated in combat sessions with a variety of weapons as a member of the Nihangs, an ancient sect of Sikhism founded nearly 500 years ago to protect the religion and its gurdwaras (places of worship) when they were under attack from Muslim rulers in India.

The Nihangs became known for their bravery and ruthlessness on the battlefield and their expertise with weapons such as swords, knives, spears and iron chains, gaining a fearsome reputation as the ‘army of Sikhism’.

Separately today, the Daily Mail revealed that Vickrum Digwa’s brother Gurpreet was filmed with a ceremonial sword during a furious clash outside a Hindu temple.

Gurpreet, 27, was seen with a bladed gun next to a Mercedes A180 during an argument with a fellow driver in Southampton last year.

Videos circulating online show him yelling as another man held him outside the city’s Vedic Community Hindu Temple.

Multiple sources with knowledge of the incident in Southampton identified the man carrying the ceremonial sword as Gurpreet.

It is unknown when the incident took place, but a witness living on the street claimed it was around the time Henry was murdered by Vickrum.