One of the two shooters accused of the Australia beach massacre held an Indian passport, Telangana Police revealed on Tuesday.
Sajid Akram, 50, who was shot dead on Sunday by New South Wales police, belonged to the city of Hyderabad and had migrated to Australia 27 years ago, Telangana DGP’s office said in a statement.
“Sajid Akram (50) is originally from Hyderabad, India. He completed his B.Com degree in Hyderabad and migrated to Australia in search of employment, approximately 27 years ago, in November 1998,” it said.
Akram migrated to Australia in 1998 and had limited contact with his family here since then, the statement further said.
Akram and his son, Naveed Akram, 24, are accused of indiscriminately shooting down 15 people gathered to celebrate the Jewish festival of Hanukkah on Sydney’s Bondi Beach on December 14. Naveed continues to be in hospital, having been critically injured after being shot on the fateful day.
Sajid Akram was married to a woman of European origin before settling permanently in Australia, where they had two children, a son, Naveed, and a daughter, police said.
Naveed and his sister were born in Australia and are citizens of that country, the statement said.
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The Telangana police also stated that while Akram visited India on six occasions after migrating to Australia – primarily for family-related reasons such as property matters and to meet his elderly parents – it is understood that he did not travel to India even at the time of his father’s demise.
His extended family here have further expressed no knowledge of his radical mindset or activities, nor of the circumstances that led to his radicalisation, police shared.
“The factors that led to the radicalisation of Sajid Akram and his son, Naveed appear to have no connection with India or any local influence in Telangana,” they added.
Prior to his move to Australia, there was no adverse record against Sajid Akram, police informed, while adding they remain committed to cooperating with central agencies and other counterparts, as and when required, and urged the public and media to avoid speculation or attribution without verified facts.
Meanwhile, Australia’s federal police commissioner, Krissy Barrett, said on Tuesday that the shooting was “a terrorist attack inspired by Islamic State”.
The Philippine immigration officials also confirmed that Sajid Akram had travelled to the Philippines on an Indian passport in November, along with his son Naveed.
“Sajid Akram, 50, Indian national, and Naveed Akram, 24, Australian national, arrived in the Philippines together last November 1, 2025, from Sydney Australia,” the country’s Bureau of Immigration spokesperson, Dana Sandoval, told news agencies in Manila on Tuesday.
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