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Bondi Beach attacker was from Hyderabad, left India 27 years ago

According to the police, Sajid Akram has a B.Com degree and migrated to Australia in November 1998 in search of work. There, he married a woman of European origin, with whom he had two children – Naveed, the other gunman, and a daughter

Written by: Sreenivas Janyala, Nikhila Henry

4 min readHyderabadUpdated: Dec 17, 2025 07:10 AM IST

A young woman kneels down by a floral tribute by the Bondi Pavilion at Bondi Beach on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, following Sunday's shooting in Sydney, Australia. (AP Photo)

One of the two gunmen who shot and killed at least 15 people at Bondi Beach in Sydney on the evening of December 1 is from Hyderabad, law enforcement agencies in both Australia and India confirmed on Tuesday, bringing into focus a two-storey bungalow in the city’s Tolichowki area that belongs to the family.

Fifteen people were killed in the mass shooting that occurred during a Hanukkah celebration.

Law enforcement agencies identified the gunmen as Sajid Akram (50) and his son Naveed Akram (24). Australian police said the father and son travelled to the Philippines last month. The Philippines Bureau of Immigration confirmed that Sajid travelled on an Indian passport, while Naveed used an Australian one.

Once the shooters’ link to India emerged, the Telangana police shared details of the Akram family. According to the police, Sajid has a B.Com degree and migrated to Australia in November 1998 in search of work. There, he married a woman of European origin, with whom he had two children – Naveed and a daughter. Since then, he is believed to have returned to India six times, with his family stating that he had limited contact with them and that he even skipped his father’s funeral in 2009.

Boys lay flowers at a flower memorial for victims of Sunday’s shooting at the Bondi Pavilion at Bondi Beach on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, in Sydney, Australia. (AP Photo)

“The factors that led to the radicalisation of Sajid and his son Naveed appear to have no connection with India or any local influence in Telangana,” Telangana Director General of Police B Reddy said in a statement. “Telangana police have no adverse record against Sajid during his stay in India prior to his departure in 1998.”

Akram’s visits to India – the most recent was in 2022 – were for private matters such as disposing of an ancestral property. When that sale didn’t go through, he swiftly returned to Australia, officials said. “Even when their father passed away, no one saw Sajid,” an elderly neighbour told The Indian Express. The DGP confirmed, “It is understood that he did not travel to India at the time.”

“His brother has been running the house ever since then,” said an official.

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In the thickly populated Tolichowki area, as word of the family’s link to the Sydney shooting spread, a crowd began to gather outside their bungalow, which was padlocked when The Indian Express visited. “They were here till Tuesday afternoon. Then the police came, and with them the media. They left soon after,” a neighbour said.

Also Read | Terror at Bondi beach raises a deeper question: How do societies respond to violence without surrendering the values that make them open?

The Akrams used to live near Hyderabad’s Charminar till 2002. “Somewhere between 2002 and 2004, they moved to the Tolichowli neighbourhood. In 2009, when Sajid’s father fell ill, he did not come to Hyderabad,” an intelligence official told The Indian Express.

“The family is quiet; they keep to themselves. We have hardly seen Sajid here,” a neighbour said.

According to The New York Times, Akram was a licensed holder of six firearms that were registered to him legally. Officials previously said that Naveed had come to the authorities’ attention in 2019, but that it was determined he did not pose an immediate threat, NYT reported, adding that Akram was also interviewed at the time.

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Australian news media reported that the 2019 investigation was over Naveed’s links to Isaac El Matari, a self-proclaimed Islamic State commander based in Sydney who was convicted of plotting a terrorist attack and was sentenced to seven years in prison in 2021.

Police in Telangana, meanwhile, said they are cooperating with central agencies and other counterparts on the case.

Sreenivas Janyala

Sreenivas Janyala is a Deputy Associate Editor at The Indian Express, where he serves as one of the most authoritative voices on the socio-political and economic landscape of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. With a career spanning over two decades in mainstream journalism, he provides deep-dive analysis and frontline reporting on the intricate dynamics of South Indian governance. Expertise and Experience Regional Specialization: Based in Hyderabad, Sreenivas has spent more than 20 years documenting the evolution of the Telugu-speaking states. His reporting was foundational during the historic Telangana statehood movement and continues to track the post-bifurcation development of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Key Coverage Beats: His extensive portfolio covers a vast spectrum of critical issues: High-Stakes Politics: Comprehensive tracking of regional powerhouses (BRS, TDP, YSRCP, and Congress), electoral shifts, and the political careers of figures like K. Chandrashekar Rao, Chandrababu Naidu, and Jagan Mohan Reddy. Internal Security & Conflict: Authoritative reporting on Left-Wing Extremism (LWE), the decline of the Maoist movement in former hotbeds, and intelligence-led investigations into regional security modules. Governance & Infrastructure: Detailed analysis of massive irrigation projects (like Kaleshwaram and Polavaram), capital city developments (Amaravati), and the implementation of state welfare schemes. Crisis & Health Reporting: Led the publication's ground-level coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in South India and major industrial incidents, such as the Vizag gas leak. Analytical Depth: Beyond daily news, Sreenivas is known for his "Explained" pieces that demystify complex regional disputes, such as river water sharing and judicial allocations between the sister states. ... Read More

Nikhila Henry

Nikhila Henry is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Hyderabad. With a career spanning 17 years, she has established herself as an authoritative voice on South Indian affairs, specialising in the complex intersections of politics, education, and social justice. Experience & Career: Nikhila commenced her journalism career in 2007 as an education correspondent for The Times of India in Hyderabad,where she gained recognition for her coverage of student politics. Her professional trajectory includes a four-year tenure at The Hindu, where she focused on minority affairs and social welfare. In 2019, she took on a leadership role as the South Bureau Chief for The Quint, where she directed regional coverage across all five South Indian states. Her expansive career also includes a tenure at the BBC in New Delhi and contributions to prestigious international outlets such as The Sunday Times (London) and HuffPost India. Expertise & Focus Areas Nikhila’s reportage is marked by a deep-seated understanding of grassroots movements and institutional policy. Her core focus areas include: Regional Politics: Comprehensive analysis of the socio-political dynamics across South India. Education & Student Movements: Chronicling the evolution of Indian academics and the rise of youth activism. Minority Affairs: Rigorous reporting on the welfare, rights, and challenges facing marginalized communities. National Beat: Elevating regional stories to national prominence through investigative and on-ground reporting. Authoritativeness & Trust A respected figure in Indian media, Nikhila is not only a seasoned reporter but also an accomplished author and editor. She authored the critically acclaimed book The Ferment: Youth Unrest in India and edited Caste is Not a Rumour, a collection of writings by Rohith Vemula. Her dual background in daily news reporting and long-form authorship allows her to provide readers with a nuanced, historically-informed perspective on contemporary Indian society. Find all stories by Nikhila Henry here. ... Read More

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