Bondi Beach Shooter Sajid Akram Originally From Hyderabad, Officials Say

Sajid Akram, the 50-year-old man who, along with his son, carried out the deadly shooting at Australia’s Bondi Beach on Sunday, was originally from Hyderabad, Telangana police said on Tuesday.

According to the police, Sajid Akram had migrated to Australia about 27 years ago and had “limited contact” with his family in Hyderabad. Sajid and his 24-year-old son, Naveed, opened fire with rifles at a Hanukkah event at the popular beach, killing 15 people. Sajid was later shot dead during an exchange of fire with police, taking the death toll to 16. Naveed remains in critical condition and is being treated in hospital under police guard.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the shooting as a “targeted attack” on Jewish Australians and called it “an act of evil, antisemitism and terrorism that has struck the heart of our nation”.

Telangana police said the factors that led to the radicalisation of Sajid Akram and his son “appear to have no connection with India or any local influence in Telangana”. Police added that Sajid had visited India six times after migrating to Australia, but his family had no knowledge of any “radical mindset”. Authorities also said there was no record of Sajid Akram with Indian law enforcement before he left the country.

Police said they would cooperate with federal agencies and other counterparts as required in the investigation into the Bondi Beach shooting.

Earlier, the Philippines’ Bureau of Immigration confirmed that Sajid Akram was an Indian national and had visited the country in November. A spokesperson said Sajid Akram, an Indian national and Australian resident, and his son Naveed Akram, an Australian national, arrived in the Philippines together from Sydney on November 1, 2025. They reported Davao as their final destination and left the country on November 28, 2025, flying from Davao to Manila and onward to Sydney.

Family members in Hyderabad were reportedly shocked by the news and said they had not been in touch with Sajid for many years. His brother told The News Minute that Sajid had left Hyderabad more than 25 years ago and later married a Christian, after which the family cut ties with him.

The report further said that Sajid’s father had bought an apartment in Hyderabad after returning from Saudi Arabia many years ago. Sajid is said to have migrated to Australia in 1998 on a student visa. Indian agencies have found in a preliminary probe that Sajid visited Hyderabad a few years ago and that the brothers later fell out over property. Other family members in Hyderabad are expected to be questioned as part of the investigation.