Sajid Akram, one of the two shooters identified in the Bondi Beach terrorist attack, originally hails from Hyderabad and had migrated to Australia 27 years ago, said the Telangana police on Tuesday.
They further said that Sajid (50) and his son Naveed (24) were inspired by the ideology of ISIS, adding that further investigation in this regard is being carried out by Australian authorities.
Sajid completed his B.Com from Hyderabad and migrated to Australia in search of employment in November 1998, according to the Deputy General of Police, Telangana.
He married a woman of European origin, Venera Grosso and subsequently settled permanently in Australia.
“They have one son, Naveed (one of the two attackers) and one daughter. Sajid Akram carries an Indian passport as of date, and his son, Naveed Akram and daughter were born in Australia and are Australian citizens,” the DGP said.
Limited Contact With Family In India
The top cop further said that Sajid has limited contact with his family in Hyderabad. Over the past 27 years, he has visited India on six occasions, primarily for family-related reasons such as property matters and visits to his elderly parents. However, he did not travel to India at the time of his father’s demise.
According to his family members, they had no knowledge of his “radical mindset or activities, nor of the circumstances that led to his radicalisation.”
The DGP said that there appears to be no connection to the factors that led to the duo’s radicalisation with India or any local influence in Telangana. Furthermore, there are no adverse records against Sajid during his stay in India before his departure in 1998, according to the DGP.
” Telangana Police remain committed to cooperating with central agencies and other counterparts, as and when required, and urges the public and media to avoid speculation or attribution without verified facts,” the DGP added.
