Bondi Beach Shooter Visited Hyderabad Six Times Since 1998, Police Say

Telangana police have revealed that Sajid Akram, the 50-year-old Indian-origin gunman killed in the deadly terrorist attack at Sydney's Bondi Beach on December 14, 2025, visited Hyderabad six times since leaving India in 1998, primarily to handle property disputes and family matters. Akram, born and raised in Hyderabad's Tolichowki area, migrated to Australia on a student visa in November 1998 for higher education and employment, eventually settling there permanently while retaining his Indian passport.

The visits, spanning nearly three decades, included trips in 2001 to perform a nikah ceremony with his European-origin wife and in 2004-2005 to introduce his son Naveed to relatives. Later trips focused on resolving ancestral property issues, with his most recent visit occurring in 2022. Notably, Akram did not return for his father's funeral in 2009, and police emphasized that he maintained limited contact with his family in India, who expressed shock and denied any knowledge of his alleged radicalization.

Authorities in Telangana stated there is no record of extremist activities or adverse information against Akram during his time in India, asserting that any radicalization occurred abroad, likely in Australia. The family cooperated fully with investigators, confirming the personal nature of his visits without links to suspicious overseas connections.

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The Bondi Beach shooting, where Akram and his son Naveed allegedly opened fire on a Hanukkah celebration, killing 15 people and injuring dozens in an ISIS-inspired act of terrorism, has drawn international scrutiny. Indian police continue to assist Australian counterparts, ruling out any local influences in Telangana contributing to the perpetrators' ideology.

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