Telangana police clarify Hyd resident has no link to Bondi beach shooting

Reports initially suggested a Hyderabad-born individual, Sajid Akram (50), was involved in the incident. Telangana police clarified that while Akram, an Indian passport holder, was originally from Hyderabad, the tragedy occurred entirely in Australia and had no links to local communities. Australian federal authorities have stated the attack was inspired by the Islamic State.

According to a statement from the Telangana DGP’s office, Sajid Akram completed his B.Com in Hyderabad before moving to Australia in November 1998 in search of work. He had lived there for nearly 27 years, maintaining only limited contact with family in India.

After settling in Australia, Akram married a woman of European descent. The couple had two children: a son, Naveed (24), and a daughter, both born in Australia and holding Australian citizenship. Naveed has been identified as the second suspect in the shooting and is currently receiving medical treatment.

Australian authorities suspect that both father and son were involved in carrying out the attack. Sajid Akram was reportedly killed at the scene, while his son survived with injuries.

Telangana police emphasized that Akram visited India only six times after moving abroad, primarily for family matters or to handle property-related issues. He did not return even for his father’s funeral. The family has stated they were unaware of any extremist beliefs or radicalization in Akram or his son.

The police stressed that there is no evidence of any influence from India or Telangana in motivating the attack. Akram had no criminal record prior to his move in 1998.