Sajid Akram, one of the gunmen suspected of carrying out the deadly terror attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on Sunday, has been found to have links to India’s Telangana state. The attack, which left 15 people dead, is being described as Australia’s worst mass shooting in nearly three decades. Sajid Akram, 50, and his 24-year-old son, Naveed Akram, allegedly opened fire on people gathered at a public event celebrating the Jewish festival of Hanukkah.
Australian authorities confirmed that Sajid Akram was shot dead by police during the incident, while his son Naveed was critically injured and remains hospitalised after also being shot. Australia’s Federal Police Commissioner, Krissy Barrett, stated that the incident was “a terrorist attack inspired by Islamic State ideology,” though investigations are ongoing to determine the full extent of radicalisation and planning behind the assault.
Law enforcement agencies in India have revealed that Sajid Akram originally hailed from Hyderabad in Telangana but had only limited contact with his family there in recent years. His family currently resides in a two-storey bungalow in the Tolichowki area of Hyderabad. They previously lived near the historic Charminar locality until around 2002, before relocating. According to intelligence officials, Sajid did not return to India even when his father fell seriously ill in 2009.
Neighbours described the family as reserved and largely private. “We hardly saw Sajid here. Even when his father passed away, he did not come,” an elderly neighbour was quoted as saying. Telangana Police confirmed that Akram completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Hyderabad before migrating to Australia in November 1998 in search of employment.
According to officials, Akram initially travelled to Australia on a student visa and later shifted to a partner visa in 2001. In Australia, he married a woman of European origin and had two children. Reports suggest that his marriage caused a rift with his family in Hyderabad, leading to strained ties. His brother, who continues to live in the city, reportedly manages the family home.
Indian authorities said Akram’s most recent visit to India was in 2022, when he returned to settle an ancestral property matter. When the sale did not materialise, he went back to Australia. Police confirmed that he did not attend his father’s funeral, further indicating his prolonged distance from the family.
Telangana Director General of Police B Reddy stated that Akram did not travel to India at the time of his father’s death. However, officials told BBC Telugu that Akram had visited India approximately six times after migrating, mostly for family-related reasons such as property issues and visits to elderly relatives.
Indian and Australian authorities are now coordinating to piece together Akram’s background, movements and possible radicalisation, as the investigation into the Bondi Beach terror attack continues.