Hyderabad Connection to Sydney Terror ? : Slain Bondi Beach Shooter Identified as Indian Passport Holder
Telangana Police Confirm Sajid Akram’s Roots in Hyderabad; Father-Son Duo Linked to ISIS Ideology After Deadly Hanukkah Attack
Sydney Shooter’s Roots Traced to Hyderabad
Shocking revelations have emerged following the antisemitic terror attack at Bondi Beach, Sydney, which claimed 15 lives. Australian authorities and the Telangana State Police have confirmed that one of the primary shooters, Sajid Akram (50), was originally from Hyderabad, India. Sajid, who was shot dead by New South Wales police during the massacre, moved to Australia in 1998 and had been living there as a permanent resident while retaining his Indian Passport.
The Telangana Police issued a formal statement on Tuesday, December 16, clarifying that Sajid Akram had maintained very limited contact with his relatives in the Al Hasnath Colony of Toli Chowki over the last 27 years. DGP B. Shivadhar Reddy emphasized that Sajid had no prior adverse record or criminal history in India before his migration nearly three decades ago.
ISIS Inspiration and the Philippines Link
Investigations into the motive behind the shooting—which targeted a Jewish Hanukkah celebration—have uncovered a clear path of radicalization. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed that the attackers were motivated by Islamic State (ISIS) ideology. A search of a vehicle linked to the suspects uncovered homemade ISIS flags and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).
A critical lead in the investigation involves a recent trip to the Philippines in November 2025. Philippine immigration records show that Sajid Akram used his Indian passport to enter the country alongside his son, Naveed. Intelligence agencies are currently probing whether the duo received tactical training in the Mindanao region, a known hub for extremist factions, just weeks before executing the Sydney attack.
Family in India Severed Ties Decades Ago
In Hyderabad, the news has left Sajid’s surviving family members in a state of shock and scrutiny. Relatives informed local authorities that they had cut all ties with Sajid shortly after he moved to Australia, primarily due to personal and religious differences regarding his marriage to a woman of European origin.
“The family had no knowledge of his radical mindset,” the Telangana Police press note stated, adding that Sajid did not even return to India for his father’s funeral in 2009. While the younger shooter, Naveed Akram, remains in critical condition under police guard in a Sydney hospital, international agencies are working together to determine if any broader global network supported the father-son duo’s transition into violent extremism.