Sikhs in Southampton say they are living in fear and avoiding going out after a Sikh man named Vikram Singh Digwa was jailed for the murder of student Henry Novak. Sikh community leaders are warning of increasing racial abuse and intimidation in the city.Community representatives told The Times that many Sikhs are now reluctant to leave their homes, with some afraid to walk to gurudwaras or visit elderly relatives outside alone. Incidents of abuse in workplaces and public spaces have increased, while a planned memorial event for a man from the Sikh community was canceled due to security concerns.A spokesperson for Gurdwara Khalsa Darbar in Southampton said the situation had left people feeling targeted. “We are feeling victimized and people are afraid to come out of their homes. The gurudwara is empty because people will not walk here.”The spokesperson spoke candidly about several incidents of racial abuse, including in the workplace and in supermarkets. “Two people were called p***s at the Southampton cruise terminal where they work, and another person was shopping in Tesco and someone said to them: ‘You don’t need to be here.’ A man working in a care home was refused care because he wore a turban.He said that public discussion about the murder case has increased tension. “This far-right movement has really filled everyone with hatred towards Sikhs, through no fault of ours. We have never been exposed for the wrong reasons, we always lived in Southampton and were friends, and with just one isolated incident Sikhs are bad. Especially the men, who have turbans and beards and kirpans, they are afraid to go out.“He also said that there were no previous problems associated with Kirpan: “But politicians and social media and news, it’s all Sikh, Sikh, Sikh and it’s just against Sikhs. It’s the way social media and politicians have used their words and they have instilled negativity in everyone around Sikhs.”The fears arose after 23-year-old Vikram Digva was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of 18-year-old Henry Novak, who was stabbed with a 21 cm Sikh ceremonial dagger known as a kirpan as he walked home from a night out. Digwa later claimed that the victim had racially attacked him. This claim was rejected in the court.Following the killing, an anti-police protest in Southampton on Tuesday erupted into rioting, attended by far-right figures, leaving 11 officers and a police dog injured and several arrests.Police bodyworn footage released this week shows a wounded Novak being handcuffed and interrogated despite repeatedly saying he had been stabbed and was pleading for medical attention, saying he couldn’t breathe. An officer was heard saying: “I don’t think you have, buddy.” He later died of blood loss on the road.The murder and its aftermath have shocked the Sikh community. A member of Gurudwara Nanaksar said the community was in shock and urged solidarity. “It was not the kirpan that did it; it was the person who did it. I am very sad to see people protesting why Sikhs are allowed to carry the kirpan. This is not a kirpan issue; it is a humanitarian issue. The saber is a spiritual object. The murderer should be punished no matter which community he belongs to. We all need to stand together against crime.”A neighbor of Digwa’s family said: “For me personally, I can’t understand it. How can you think it’s a good idea to use a weapon when there is a dispute?”One of the officers involved in the case had resigned last year, while three others remain in service.