In a significant development following the devastating terror attack in Sydney, authorities in India have confirmed the Hyderabad roots of one of the assailants. Sajid Akram, aged 50, who carried out the mass shooting at Bondi Beach alongside his son, is originally from Hyderabad, India. The confirmation came directly from Hyderabad's Director General of Police, B. Shivdhar Reddy.
Hyderabad Connection and Life in Australia
DGP Shivdhar Reddy provided a detailed background of Sajid Akram's life before the attack. Akram completed his Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com) in Hyderabad before making a life-altering move. In November 1998, he migrated to Australia after marrying a woman of European origin. This move marked the beginning of a prolonged separation from his family and homeland.
Despite his Indian origins, police investigations reveal that Akram maintained minimal ties with his family in Hyderabad over the decades. Relatives confirmed that he had only limited contact with them during the past 27 years. Records indicate that after settling in Australia, Sajid Akram visited India on just six occasions, suggesting a gradual distancing from his roots.
Police Clarify Radicalisation Had No India Link
A crucial point emphasized by the Indian police is the source of Akram's radicalisation. DGP Shivdhar Reddy explicitly stated that the factors which led Sajid Akram down the path of extremism have no connection whatsoever with India. This statement aims to separate the assailant's actions from his place of origin, underscoring that his ideological transformation occurred outside Indian soil.
Meanwhile, international travel records have shed more light on the movements of the Akram family prior to the attack. According to Dana Sandoval, a spokeswoman for the Philippine Bureau of Immigration, Sajid Akram and his son arrived in the Philippines together on November 1, travelling from Sydney. They subsequently left the country on November 28, flying back to Sydney via Manila, just weeks before executing the attack.
The Attack and Its Aftermath
The horrific incident that has drawn global attention occurred on December 14, 2025, at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia. The attackers targeted a Hanukkah celebration known as "Chanukah by the Sea," one of the first major Jewish community gatherings of the festival. The shooting resulted in a tragic loss of life, with 15 people killed and 40 others injured.
Among the injured were three Indian students, highlighting the international impact of the localised terror act. The two gunmen were identified as Sajid Akram and his son Naveed Akram. Australian authorities have described the attack as the nation's worst mass shooting in decades and stated the perpetrators were motivated by Islamic State ideology.
The confirmation of Sajid Akram's Hyderabad background has sent shockwaves through the local community in the Indian city, even as police assure the public that India had no role in his radicalisation process.
