What Led to the Bondi Beach Mass Shooting? Agencies Query Sajid Akram's Family in Hyderabad
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Sajid Akram, a key figure in the Bondi Beach mass shooting, has roots in Hyderabad.
- The family has reported limited contact with him since he moved to Australia.
- Authorities are investigating the radicalization factors behind the attack.
- The incident has raised significant concerns regarding community ties and influences.
- Sajid's last visit to India was in 2022, during which he considered returning.
Hyderabad, Dec 16 (NationPress) The family residence of Sajid Akram, one of the two assailants involved in the tragic mass shooting at Bondi Beach in Australia, has become a focal point for media inquiries as state and central agencies interrogate his relatives in the Toli Chowki area of Hyderabad.
Officials from the Telangana Police's special branch, along with other units, have been questioning Sajid's mother and brother, who had relocated to Australia approximately 27 years ago.
Family members revealed to police that after moving to Australia in 1998, his communication with them was limited.
The house in Al-Hasnath Colony attracted significant media attention after law enforcement confirmed that Sajid Akram originated from Hyderabad.
On December 14, during a public Hanukkah celebration, a mass shooting allegedly executed by two individuals resulted in the deaths of 15 victims and one of the attackers.
The assailants were identified as Sajid Akram (50 years old) and his son Naveed Akram (24 years old).
Reports indicate that Sajid Akram earned his B.Com degree in Hyderabad before migrating to Australia in November 1998 in search of job opportunities.
In Australia, he married Venera Grosso, a woman of European descent, and they have one son, Naveed (one of the attackers), along with a daughter.
Sajid Akram holds an Indian passport, while his son and daughter were both born in Australia and are citizens there.
His family informed police that he maintained limited contact with them, having made six trips back to India primarily for family-related matters, including property disputes and visiting elderly parents.
He did not return during his father's passing in 2009.
Family members have stated they had no awareness of his radical views or activities, nor the factors that may have led to his radicalization.
According to Hyderabad Police, there is no negative record associated with Sajid Akram during his time in India before he left in 1998.
Telangana's DGP, Shivadhar Reddy, mentioned that the factors contributing to the radicalization of Sajid and Naveed Akram seem unrelated to India or any local influences.
Sajid pursued his B.Com from a college in Hyderabad and reportedly ran a fruit business once in Australia.
His father worked in Saudi Arabia and built a house upon returning to India.
Reports suggest Sajid had property disputes with his brother and that family relations became strained after he married a Christian woman in Australia.
His last visit to Hyderabad occurred in 2022, during which he explored the potential of settling there.