Hyderabad/Australia: One of the suspects in the deadly mass shooting at Bondi Beach in Australia has been identified as Sajid Akram, a native of Hyderabad, Telangana Police confirmed on Tuesday.
In a statement, the office of the Telangana Director General of Police said Sajid Akram had migrated to Australia nearly 27 years ago and maintained only limited contact with his family in Hyderabad. The police clarified that there was no evidence to suggest that his radicalisation, or that of his son Naveed Akram, had any links to India or influence from Telangana.
According to officials, Sajid Akram completed his Bachelor of Commerce degree in Hyderabad before moving to Australia in November 1998 in search of employment. Since then, he had been residing abroad, with minimal ties to his place of origin.
The clarification from Telangana Police came a day after Australian authorities described the shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach as a terrorist attack inspired by the Islamic State. The attack took place during a Hanukkah celebration and left at least 15 people dead.
Australia’s Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said the assailants were a father and son, aged 50 and 24. The elder suspect, identified as Sajid Akram, was shot dead during the operation, while his son Naveed Akram sustained injuries and is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital.
Australian authorities are continuing their investigation into the attack, focusing on the suspects’ background, possible extremist links and the sequence of events leading up to the shooting.
