Shooter Sajid Akram was a resident of Hyderabad, Telangana Police confirmed.

Hyderabad: Sajid Akram, the shooter who opened fire on Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, was originally a resident of Hyderabad, Telangana. Telangana Police confirmed this on Tuesday. Police said in a statement that Sajid Akram had gone to Australia in 1998.

A press note from the DGP of Telangana said that the reasons behind the radicalization of Sajid and his son Navid Akram do not seem to have anything to do with any local influence in India or Telangana. Police said Sajid Akram had no criminal record against him during his stay in India before moving to Australia in 1998. Police said that he had come to India only six times in 27 years.

Telangana Police statement

1. On Sunday, December 14, 2025, two assailants opened fire on Sydney’s Bondi Beach during Hanukkah celebrations, reportedly killing 15 victims and one of the two assailants. Australian police/government is considering this incident as a terrorist attack. The attackers have been identified as Sajid Akram (50 years) and his son Navid Akram (24 years). Reports suggest that both were inspired by the ideology of ISIS. Australian officials are investigating further in this regard.
2. Sajid Akram was originally from Hyderabad, India. He completed his B.Com degree from Hyderabad and moved to Australia in search of employment almost 27 years ago, in November 1998. He later married Venera Grosso, a woman of European descent, before settling permanently in Australia. He has a son, Naveed (one of the two attackers) and a daughter. Sajid Akram still holds an Indian passport and his son Navid Akram and daughter were born in Australia and are Australian citizens.
3. According to information received from his relatives in India, Sajid Akram had very little contact with his family in Hyderabad in the last 27 years. After moving to Australia, he visited India six times, mainly for family reasons such as property matters and to visit his elderly parents. It is believed that he had not even come to India at the time of his father’s death.
4. Family members have denied any knowledge of his radical thinking or activities, or the circumstances that led to his radicalization.
5. The reasons for the radicalization of Sajid Akram and his son Navid do not seem to have any connection with any local influence in India or Telangana.
6. Telangana Police does not have any wrong record against Sajid Akram during his stay in India before leaving India in 1998.

The statement said Telangana Police is committed to cooperating with central agencies and other counterparts, whenever needed, and urges the public and media to refrain from speculating or making allegations without verified facts.

Sajid Akram, along with his son Navid, had opened fire on innocent people at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on December 14, when people of the Jewish community had gathered to celebrate the festival. 15 people were killed in this terrorist act. Sajid was killed in police crossfiring. Naveed, who was injured by the bullet, is admitted in the hospital. Sajid had an Indian passport, while his son is an Australian citizen.

Before settling permanently in Australia, Sajid married Venera Grosso, a Christian woman of European origin. Apart from Navid, she also has a daughter. Son and daughter are Australian citizens.

Sajid Akram’s family told the media that they had broken relations with him years ago “because he married a Christian woman”. Sajid was a resident of old Hyderabad city. Family sources told the media that Sajid had visited India at least three times in the last 27 years, the last time in 2022.

According to media reports, Sajid had used an Indian passport to go to the Philippines a few weeks before the terrorist attack on Bondi Beach. His Navid had used Australian travel documents to travel abroad.