UK signals possible deportation of Indian-origin woman jailed in Southampton stabbing case

British authorities have indicated that an Indian-origin woman jailed for helping her son after he fatally stabbed an 18-year-old student in Southampton could face deportation after her early release from prison. According to PTI, the UK Home Office said it would seek to remove foreign nationals convicted of crimes at the earliest opportunity, though it did not refer specifically to Kiran Kaur, 53.

Kaur was sentenced to three years in prison in July for assisting an offender by removing the weapon used by her son, Vickrum Digwa, to kill Henry Nowak on December 3, 2025. She is expected to be released early under a government scheme aimed at reducing overcrowding in British prisons. Under UK rules, foreign nationals sentenced to at least 12 months are generally considered for deportation, subject to exceptions and legal challenges.

Digwa, 23, was sentenced in June to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of 21 years before he becomes eligible for parole. Both Kaur and her son have been granted permission to challenge their sentences. Their appeals are scheduled to be heard by the UK Court of Appeal on November 5.

The case drew widespread attention after Digwa sought to invoke a religious self-defence argument involving the kirpan, a ceremonial knife that Sikhs are legally permitted to carry in the UK. During Kaur’s sentencing, Justice William Mousley stressed that the kirpan was a symbol of religious faith and was not intended to be carried for offensive purposes. He said any use of the weapon in self-defence would have to be justified by circumstances involving great seriousness and urgency.

The judge also criticised Kaur for removing the weapon rather than challenging her son’s actions and encouraging him to do the right thing. He acknowledged that she had experienced a difficult life in India before marrying and moving to the UK nearly 30 years ago. He said she had acted to protect her son rather than for personal gain and was unlikely to reoffend, while making clear that her actions warranted punishment.

British Sikh organisations and parliamentarians subsequently condemned what they described as the misrepresentation of the kirpan, stressing that religious protection did not justify the violence in this case.

The killing also triggered scrutiny of police conduct after body-worn camera footage showed officers handcuffing Nowak following Digwa’s allegations that he had been subjected to racism. Those allegations were subsequently rejected in court. The Independent Office for Police Conduct is investigating the officers’ handling of the incident amid allegations of “two-tier” policing, referring to claims that different communities were treated unequally. The case has heightened tensions in Southampton and the wider Hampshire and Isle of Wight area.

Deportation of foreign nationals is governed by UK immigration law. A prison sentence of 12 months or more can trigger consideration, but decisions may be challenged on human rights, family or other grounds. In Kaur’s case, no final immigration decision has been announced.

Kaur’s potential deportation remains subject to the applicable immigration process, while the outcome of the appeals against her sentence and Digwa’s life term is awaited.