The grandmother of convicted murderer Vikram Digva has defended his mother’s actions after she helped hide the weapon used in the murder of Henry Novak, saying she “just did what any parent would do.”Speaking publicly for the first time since Digwa was sentenced to life imprisonment on Monday, Bimla Kaur, 75, said the case has devastated both families and her relatives live in fear.“This whole affair has destroyed two families – Henry’s and mine,” she told the Daily Mail.Digva, 23, was convicted of murdering Novak using a kirpan, the Sikh ritual blade, in Southampton on December 3 last year. His mother, Kiran Kaur, 52, was later found guilty of assisting a murderer after hiding a knife at her son’s request. He is currently on remand and will be sentenced later this month.Kaur defended her daughter-in-law, saying, “She did what any mother would do.”The grandmother described Kiran as a devout Sikh and a devoted housewife, whose entire focus was on raising her children in a traditional family environment.“Now he will be punished for this,” he said.Kaur expressed sympathy for the victim’s family and clarified that she does not condone her grandson’s actions.He described DeGwa as a “difficult boy”, saying, “He’s done a lot of bad things – there’s no debate on that.”According to Kaur, her family fears for their safety following the outcome of the case. Following DeGwa’s conviction and the release of police body camera footage, violent protests broke out in Southampton. Some protesters traveled towards the road where the Digwa family lived.Kaur said her son, Moga, and grandson, Gurpreet, have left their home and are staying with relatives at an undisclosed location.“It is not safe for them to stay in their home because it was targeted last night and it is only a matter of time before it is attacked again,” he said.Although she is at home in central Southampton, Kaur said the family has also received threats.She said: “We are all living in fear because we have also received some threats and we are worried that we too might be attacked. But we have been in this city for a long time, our whole family is here, and we have nowhere else to go.”Kaur also spoke about her family’s connection to the Nihangs, a centuries-old Sikh warrior order known for carrying traditional weapons and protecting the Sikh religion. He said several male members of Digva’s family, including his father and brother, belonged to the order.“It’s an important part of our faith and I’m proud of it,” he said.However, he insisted that his grandson’s actions went against those values.He added, “These weapons are not meant to be used on innocents, so something has gone wrong.”During the trial, Degawa was described as “obsessed with weapons” and was found to be in possession of several illegal weapons in addition to ceremonial sabres.People of the Sikh community have also kept distance from him. Jas Singh of the Sikh Federation UK said: “He is a fake Nihang. Yes, weapons are important to us, and we learn to use them, but it is clearly stipulated that they can only be used to defend the faith, maintain justice and protect the innocent, not to kill them. Nihangs are an honest and noble people, but Digwa was none of these. He was a common thug, no different from any other you would normally see on the streets of Britain Are.“