The alleged gunman shot dead by police during Sunday’s deadly attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach was originally from Hyderabad in southern India, and his family had no knowledge of his alleged radical mindset, Indian police said on Tuesday.
The attack on a Hanukkah event left 15 people dead, marking Australia’s worst mass shooting in nearly three decades. Authorities are investigating the incident as a terrorist act targeting the Jewish community.
Police in India’s southern state of Telangana identified the deceased suspect as Sajid Akram, 50, who held a degree in commerce from Hyderabad. According to police, Akram moved to Australia in November 1998 in search of employment and later married a woman of European origin. The couple had two children, including a son who is alleged to have assisted in the attack.
Indian police said Akram visited India six times for family-related matters, including property issues and visits to his parents. However, he did not return to India following his father’s death. Officials stated that Akram had no criminal record in India prior to his migration.
“The family members have expressed no knowledge of his radical mindset or activities,” the police statement said, adding that the process of radicalisation appeared to have no links to India or to any local influence in Telangana.
A visit to Akram’s family residence, known locally as “Zehra Cottage” in Hyderabad’s Tolichowki area, found the house closed, with no family members present. Neighbours described the area as peaceful and said the family had no prior association with criminal activity.
Australian police have confirmed that Akram and his 24-year-old son travelled to the Philippines last month. Akram was travelling on an Indian passport, while his son held an Australian passport. Authorities said the purpose of the trip remains under investigation and it has not been established whether the pair had any direct links to terrorist organisations or received training abroad.
