Shocked relatives of Bondi gunman Sajid Akram in India have told police they had no knowledge of his radical mindset, as authorities release new details about the attacker's background. The 50-year-old and his 24-year-old son, Naveed, allegedly shot at crowds of Jewish people celebrating Hanukkah last Sunday, killing 15 and injuring 42.
Family in Hyderabad Expresses Shock and Estrangement
In a statement issued on Tuesday, local police in the Indian state of Telangana revealed that Akram's family members expressed no knowledge of his radical mindset or activities. The investigation concluded that the factors leading to the radicalisation of Sajid and Naveed Akram appear to have no connection with India or any local influence in Telangana.
The account given by Akram's family in Hyderabad suggested he was estranged from his relatives. He did not return to India even at the time of his father's demise, failing to attend the funeral. According to police, Sajid Akram had limited contact with his family over the past 27 years, visiting India only six times after migrating to Australia in November 1998 primarily for property matters and visits to elderly parents.
Background of the Bondi Attacker
Sajid Akram was born in Telangana and earned a commerce degree in Hyderabad before moving to Australia. He married a woman of European origin, Venera Grosso, with whom he had two children—Naveed and a daughter—both Australian citizens. The family lives in a middle-class Muslim neighbourhood in Hyderabad's Tolichowki area.
Neighbours described the colony as "silent and peaceful," stating they had never interacted with the family and that no one there had any prior criminal history. Telangana police confirmed Akram had no adverse record during his life in India before his departure.
Ongoing Australian Investigation and Pending Charges
Australian investigations into the terrorist attack are ongoing. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed Naveed Akram was previously known to the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), which investigated him in 2019 over alleged links to a Sydney-based Islamic State cell. That six-month probe found no evidence of radicalisation at the time.
Following the attack, two homemade IS flags were found in a car registered to Naveed at the scene. Sajid Akram, a small business owner, held a gun licence for recreational hunting and belonged to a gun club; police seized six firearms.
On Wednesday, NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon stated that officers expect to charge Naveed Akram later today. Naveed only woke from a coma on Tuesday afternoon, delaying the interview process as he obtained legal advice.
