Indian suspect named in Sydney shooting

A suspect in the recent mass shooting in Australia is an Indian citizen. Fifteen people were killed during a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach in a mass shooting. The shooting was “a terrorist attack inspired by Islamic State,” Australia’s federal police commissioner Krissy Barrett said on Tuesday.

According to Australian authorities, the suspects were a father and son, aged 50 and 24. The older man, who was identified as Sajid Akram, was shot dead. His son was being treated at a hospital. Akram is an Indian citizen hailing from Hyderabad, Telangana Police announced on Tuesday. While he had migrated to Australia 27 years ago, Akram carried an Indian passport. He had limited contact with his family here since his migration, the Telangana DGP’s office said in a statement.

“Sajid Akram (50) is originally from Hyderabad, India. He completed his BCom degree in Hyderabad and migrated to Australia in search of employment, approximately 27 years ago, in November 1998,” it added. He has a son, Naveed (one of the two suspected attackers) and a daughter, it said. Naveed and Akram’s daughter were born in Australia and are citizens of that country, the statement further said.

The Telangana police said Akram visited India on six occasions after migrating to Australia, primarily for family-related reasons such as property matters and to meet his elderly parents. It is understood that he did not travel to India even at the time of his father’s demise, the statement said.

The family members have further expressed no knowledge of his radical mindset or activities, nor of the circumstances that led to his radicalisation, police said.