Bondi Shooter Was Hyderabad-Born Migrant; Family Distanced Themselves After Marriage

Sajid Akram, one of the attackers involved in the Bondi Beach shooting in Sydney, was originally from Hyderabad and migrated to Australia in 1998, Telangana Police said on Tuesday.

Sajid and his son Naveed Akram allegedly carried out the attack during a Jewish Hanukkah gathering on Sunday, killing 15 civilians. Sajid, who held an Indian passport, was killed in a police encounter, while Naveed—an Australian citizen—was critically injured and remains hospitalised. The attackers are accused of carrying out the deadliest terror attack on Australian soil in nearly 30 years.

In a statement, the Telangana Police Director General said there was no evidence linking the radicalisation of Sajid or Naveed to India or to any local influence in Telangana. Police also said Sajid had no criminal or adverse record in India prior to his departure.

Family members told The Print and The News Minute that they had cut ties with Sajid years ago after he married a Christian woman and settled permanently in Australia. Relatives said he maintained little contact with the family and did not return to India even after his father’s death in 2009.

Police said Sajid visited India only six times over the past 27 years. Officials added that routine verification of family members in Hyderabad is underway, with no adverse findings so far.