Indian authorities have confirmed that Sajid Akram, one of the two men identified in the Bondi Beach shooting, was originally from Hyderabad and migrated to Australia in November 1998, nearly three decades before the attack that killed 15 people during a public Hanukkah celebration in Sydney.
In a statement issued by Telangana Police, Indian officials said Akram, 50, completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Hyderabad before moving to Australia in search of employment. The statement said he had limited contact with relatives in India over the past 27 years, visited on several occasions for family reasons, and had no adverse record with local police prior to his departure. Authorities said there was “no connection with India or any local influence in Telangana” linked to his radicalisation, and urged the public and media to “avoid speculation or attribution without verified facts”.
Australian investigators allege Akram carried out the attack alongside his 24-year-old son, Naveed Akram, who was born in Australia. One of the two attackers was killed at the scene and the other remains under police guard in hospital. The incident is being treated by Australian authorities as a terrorist attack, with investigations continuing into how the pair were radicalised and how the attack was planned.
The shooting has prompted heightened security planning across Sydney, with police confirming additional measures for major upcoming events including Carols in the Domain, the Ashes Test match and New Year’s Eve celebrations, as authorities reassess risks around large public gatherings.
As details continue to emerge, the focus has also turned to the victims. Boris Gurman, 69, and his wife Sofia Gurman, 61, have been identified by community members as among those killed. Accounts circulating online say the couple confronted Sajid Akram near a vehicle before the shooting escalated. Those accounts describe the pair being shot and killed at close range. Police have not publicly commented on those specific details, and investigations remain ongoing.
Political pressure has intensified in the aftermath of the attack. Former prime minister John Howard said Anthony Albanese “has not provided the moral leadership that a prime minister can in denouncing anti-Semitism”, adding that he was “ashamed” Australia’s relationship with Israel “has broken down”. The Prime Minister has previously described the Bondi shooting as a targeted terrorist attack on Jewish Australians and said the nation would not be divided by hate or violence.
The attack has sent shockwaves through Jewish communities in Australia and abroad, and renewed scrutiny of how extremist ideologies take root without detection. With multiple investigations underway across jurisdictions, authorities have stressed that facts, rather than speculation, must guide the public discussion as families mourn and communities seek answers.
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