Jailed mother of murderer Vickrum Digwa could be deported from UK

Kiran Kaur, 53, is set to be released from prison early under the UK government's new early release scheme, after serving only about a third of her three-year sentence. She was jailed in July for removing the murder weapon—a ceremonial Sikh kirpan knife—from the crime scene where her son, Vickrum Digwa, murdered 18-year-old Henry Nowak on December 3, 2025. Under Labour's controversial early release program, up to 50,000 offenders could be freed annually; Kaur will likely serve about half of her term before being eligible for release in December.

Kiran Kaur’s son was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 21 years for the murder. He falsely claimed that Nowak had racially abused him and knocked off his turban, but CCTV footage contradicted this account. The Home Office has indicated it could seek deportation of foreign criminals at the first opportunity, though they declined to comment on individual cases.

Kaur’s early release has raised concerns among family members and officials, who argue it undermines the criminal justice system's integrity. Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones stated that Kaur's potential release is a significant blow for Nowak’s family and raises serious questions about justice robustness.

The government's Sentencing Act 2026 permits most prisoners serving up to two and a half years to be automatically released on licence after completing one-third of their sentence, with new measures including electronic tagging and restricted movement.