One of the two men suspected of carrying out a mass shooting at Bondi Beach was originally from southern India but had limited contact with his family there, police sources have said.
Sajid Akram, who died at the scene in Sydney on Sunday, was originally from the city of Hyderabad, a police official from the Indian state of Telangana stated.
He had traveled to India just six times since moving to Australia in 1998 and his family expressed no knowledge of his radical mindset or activities, the official added.
Sajid, 50, and his 24-year-old son Naveed are suspected of killing 15 people and injuring dozens more at an event celebrating the Jewish festival of Hanukkah on Sunday.
Hyderabad, where Sajid Akram's family is based, is the capital of Telangana state in southern India.
The Telangana police official told BBC Telugu that Sajid had visited India on six occasions after migrating to Australia, primarily for family-related reasons such as property matters and visits to his elderly parents. The official added, It is understood that he did not travel to India even at the time of his father's demise.
Investigators believe the factors that led to Sajid's radicalization and that of his son Naveed seem to have no connection with India or any local influences in Telangana.
A police official noted that Sajid had no criminal record in India, completed a degree, and moved to Australia in search of employment before marrying a woman of European origin. Sajid Akram was an Indian passport holder, while his children were born in Australia and are Australian citizens, the official revealed.
Police are currently investigating the motives for the father and son’s trip to the Philippines weeks before the attack. They had traveled from November 1 to November 28, with reports suggesting possible military-style training, although these claims have not been officially confirmed.
Notably, Naveed Akram was previously investigated for ties to a Sydney-based ISIS terrorism cell, raising concerns about potential extremist influences. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated that Naveed first came to the attention of authorities in 2019 but was not deemed a current threat at that time.
