A UK-based Sikh restaurateur has called for a ban on kirpans, arguing that the ceremonial blade is being misused as a weapon against unarmed civilians despite its significance as an article of faith in Sikhism.
Harman Singh Kapoor, who runs the London restaurant Rangrez, has previously made headlines over controversy surrounding the serving of non-halal meat at the establishment.
Kapoor's comments come days after Vickrum Digwa, 23, was convicted of murdering 18-year-old university student Henry Nowak with a 21cm kirpan. Digwa claimed he acted in self-defence during the confrontation, but a jury rejected that argument and found him guilty of murder. His mother was also convicted of assisting an offender after helping remove the weapon from the scene.
