Bondi Beach Shooting: Telangana Police Say Suspect Sajid Akram Had No India Link to Radicalisation

Hyderabad/Australia, December 16, 2025: One of the suspects in the deadly mass shooting at Australia’s Bondi Beach has been identified as Sajid Akram, a native of Hyderabad, Telangana Police confirmed on Tuesday, while ruling out any connection between his radicalisation and India.

In an official statement, the office of the Telangana Director General of Police said Sajid Akram had migrated to Australia nearly 27 years ago and had only limited contact with his family in Hyderabad. The police clarified that there was no evidence to suggest that the radicalisation of Sajid Akram or his son, Naveed Akram, was influenced by any factors in Telangana or elsewhere in India.

According to police officials, Sajid Akram completed his Bachelor of Commerce degree in Hyderabad before moving to Australia in November 1998 in search of employment. He had been living in Australia since then, with minimal personal or social links to his place of origin.

The clarification came after Australian authorities described the Bondi Beach shooting in Sydney as a terrorist attack inspired by the Islamic State. The attack occurred during a Hanukkah celebration and claimed at least 15 lives, triggering shock and condemnation across the country.

Australia’s Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said the suspects were a father and son, aged 50 and 24. The elder suspect, identified as Sajid Akram, was shot dead during the security operation, while his son Naveed Akram was injured and is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital.

Australian agencies are continuing their investigation into the incident, focusing on the background of the suspects, their possible extremist links and the sequence of events leading up to the attack, while Indian authorities have reiterated that the case has no domestic linkage.