Sikh man detained in UK for carrying kirpan: Report

A Sikh man was detained in the UK for carrying a kirpan. The incident took place on Friday on Bull Street in Birmingham and was uploaded to various social media pages.

A Sikh man has been detained in the UK for carrying kirpan, despite having legal right to carry the religious dagger, which is an article of faith for the Sikhs, according to a media report.

Police have been criticised for “not knowing the law” after the footage emerged of the Sikh man being confronted over his kirpan. (British by paper- Punjabi by nature/ Facebook screengrab)

The incident took place on Friday on Bull Street in Birmingham and was uploaded to various social media pages.

The man told the police officer,”I’m a Sikh. I can carry this if I want to,” the Metro reported.

However, the officer accused him of being aggressive and calls for back-up from other officers.

The incident has been condemned by the British Sikh Council after being posted on a British-Punjabi Facebook group.

The group said: “If he’s a practicing Sikh then there shouldn’t be an issue.” Police have been criticised for “not knowing the law” after the footage emerged of the man being confronted over his ceremonial knife, the report said.

However, some defended the police officer’s actions saying with that with a backdrop of crime it was his right to be cautious.

A Kirpan is part of a religious commandment in which Sikhs must wear five articles of faith at all times.

Under the Offensive Weapons Act 2019, if a person can provide justification and evidence their bladed article is used for “religious reasons only” then it can be used as a “defence” should they then be charged with the possession, the report added.

(The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text, only the headline has been changed)