Hyderabad-Origin Man Identified as Suspect in Deadly Australian Bondi Beach Attack

HYDERABAD, India — The man believed to have carried out the fatal shooting at Australia’s Bondi beach on Sunday originally hailed from Hyderabad, India. Police from Telangana state disclosed on Tuesday that the suspect, Sajid Akram, 50, had a background unknown to his family regarding any extremist views.

The attack during a Hanukkah celebration resulted in fifteen fatalities, marking Australia’s deadliest mass shooting in nearly three decades. Authorities are currently probing the incident as a terrorist act targeting the Jewish community.

According to police statements, Sajid Akram earned a commerce degree in Hyderabad, a major technology and pharmaceutical center in southern India. He emigrated to Australia in November 1998 seeking employment and married a woman described as having European origins. The couple had two children, including a son believed to be involved in the attack.

Akram reportedly visited India six times primarily for family reasons, including handling property matters and seeing his parents, but did not return after his father’s passing. Telangana police noted Akram’s apparent radicalization had no identifiable connection to India, as he had no criminal records or extremist activity before leaving in 1998.

"Family members have expressed no awareness of his radical mindset or involvement in such activities, nor do they know what circumstances led to his radicalization," the official statement said. "The factors behind the radicalization of Sajid Akram and his son, Naveed, seem unrelated to any local influences in Telangana."

Reuters reporters visiting "Zehra Cottage," the Akram family residence in Hyderabad’s Al Hasnath colony, found the home gated and without visible occupants. Neighbors, mainly from the Muslim community, expressed surprise and indicated the family maintained a low profile. One neighbor mentioned Akram’s brother is a practicing doctor and that their mother resides with him.

"This is a quiet and peaceful neighborhood; we have never had interactions with them beyond normal neighborly presence," an anonymous resident shared. "No one in this area has a history of criminal issues or has attracted police attention."

Australian police have stated that Sajid Akram and his 24-year-old son Naveed, who remains critically injured in hospital following being shot, traveled to the Philippines together last month. Sajid used an Indian passport, while Naveed traveled under an Australian passport. Investigations are ongoing to determine the purpose of their visit and any ties to terrorist networks or possible training received abroad. Currently, there is no conclusive evidence linking them to known extremist groups.