Bondi Beach Attack: One of the Attackers was an Indian
Sajid Akram, Bondi Beach Attack: Indian National Lived in Australia for 27 Years
Fresh details have emerged in the ongoing investigation into the Sajid Akram, Bondi Beach attack, with Indian government officials confirming that Akram, one of the two attackers involved in the deadly assault on a Jewish event in Australia, was an Indian citizen originally from Hyderabad. At least 16 people were killed in the attack on Sunday, December 14, sending shockwaves across Australia and drawing global attention.
According to officials who conducted a background verification, Sajid Akram, 50, last visited India in 2022 for a brief two-week stay. A resident of Tolichowki in Hyderabad, Akram migrated to Australia in 1998 on a student visa and has lived there for nearly three decades.
Bondi Beach Attack: Limited Ties With India After Migration
The Telangana police said Akram had returned to India only six times since leaving the country. These visits, officials noted, were largely confined to family-related matters, including property issues and meetings with elderly parents.
“His father passed away in 2017, and he did not return to India even for the last rites,” a senior government official said, highlighting the limited personal engagement Akram maintained with his family over the years.
Police officials further stated that Akram had minimal contact with his relatives in Hyderabad during the past 27 years. Family members, they added, expressed shock over the incident and claimed no awareness of any radical beliefs or activities associated with him.
No Local Links or Prior Records
Addressing concerns about possible domestic connections, the Telangana police clarified that preliminary findings do not suggest any local links in India related to the Sajid Akram Bondi Beach attack.
“There is no adverse record against Sajid Akram during his stay in India prior to 1998,” the police said in a statement. “The circumstances that led to the radicalisation of Sajid Akram and his son appear to have no connection with India or any influence from Telangana.”
Reports indicating possible inspiration from ISIS ideology are currently under examination, with authorities emphasizing that further investigation on this front is being led by Australian agencies.
Bondi Beach Attack: Family Background and Citizenship Details
Officials confirmed that Akram completed a Bachelor’s degree in commerce in Hyderabad before moving abroad. He later married a European national but retained his Indian passport. His immediate family continues to reside in Hyderabad, and his elder brother is a practicing doctor. Akram’s late father had previously worked in the United Arab Emirates.
Akram died during the attack. His son, Naveed Akram, born in Australia in 2001 and an Australian citizen, was injured in police action and remains hospitalised.