Sajid Akram, a 50 year old man involved in the deadly Bondi Beach shooting in Sydney, moved to Australia from Hyderabad nearly 27 years ago. Telangana Police have clearly stated that there is no connection between the incident and India or Telangana.
Sajid Akram left Hyderabad in November 1998 after completing his B.Com degree. He went to Australia in search of work and later married Venera Grosso, a woman of European origin. The couple settled in Australia and had two children, a son Naveed Akram and a daughter. Naveed, aged 24, has also been identified as one of the attackers.
Although Sajid Akram still holds an Indian passport, both his children were born in Australia and are Australian citizens. After his marriage, Sajid slowly cut off contact with his family living in Al Hasnath Colony in Tolichowki, Hyderabad. His relatives say they had very limited communication with him over the past 27 years.
He visited India only six times after moving abroad. These visits were mainly for family matters such as property issues and meeting his elderly parents. Relatives said he did not come to India even when his father passed away. The family also stated that they did not know any extremist thinking or radical activities involving Sajid or his son.
Telangana Police confirmed that Sajid Akram had no criminal history or negative records during his stay in India before leaving in 1998. Officials emphasized that whatever led to his radicalisation happened outside India and had no influence or support from Telangana.
In an official statement, Telangana Police said they are ready to cooperate with central agencies and international authorities if needed. They also requested the public and media not to spread rumours or make assumptions without confirmed information.
The shooting took place at Bondi Beach in Sydney on Sunday, December 14, during a public Hanukkah event. The attack resulted in the deaths of 15 people and one of the attackers. Australian authorities have declared it a terrorist attack. Reports suggest the attackers were influenced by ISIS ideology. Investigations are ongoing to understand the full background of the incident.
