Indian police have confirmed that one of the Bondi gunmen was an Indian national

Flowers and candles placed near the site of the mass shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia. Photo / Brent Lewin, Bloomberg, via The Washington Post

Indian police confirmed that one of the gunmen responsible for killing 15 people at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on Sunday was an Indian national, who had limited contact with his family back home since he migrated to Australia 27 years ago.

Sajid Akram, 50, was originally from the city of Hyderabad, where he’d completed a commerce degree before migrating to Australia in 1998, Telangana state police said in a statement.

He had limited contact with his family in Hyderabad over the past 27 years, visiting India six times, mainly to deal with property-related matters and visit his elderly parents, the police said.

He held an Indian passport, according to the police.

The second attacker has been identified as Akram’s son, Naveed Akram, 24, who was born in Australia and is a citizen of that country.

On Sunday, the two gunmen opened fire on people at a Hanukkah celebration at the iconic Bondi Beach, a shooting that Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called a “targeted attack” on the Jewish community.

Australian authorities said they found Isis flags in a vehicle registered to one of the men.

The father and son attackers had also travelled to an area of the Philippines last month where Isis-aligned groups have operated, officials in Manila said.

Telangana police said Akram’s family in India expressed no knowledge of “his radical mindset or activities” and were not aware of what led to his “radicalisation”.

The police had no “adverse record” against Akram before his departure in 1998.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com

©2025 Bloomberg L.P.

Sign up to Herald Premium Editor’s Picks, delivered straight to your inbox every Friday. Editor-in-Chief Murray Kirkness picks the week’s best features, interviews and investigations. Sign up for Herald Premium here.