A fresh image of Sajid Akram, the alleged gunman responsible for the Bondi Beach terror attack that claimed 15 lives and injured over 40 people, has been unveiled.
As his identity is revealed, his family have expressed their shock, claiming they were oblivious to his ‘radical mindset’ or the ‘circumstances that led to his radicalisation’, The Mirror reports..
The 50 year old is believed to have launched an attack on a Jewish Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, alongside his son Naveed. Sajid was fatally shot by police at the scene.
His 24 year old son, who recently woke up from a coma, has been charged with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder. The police have confirmed that the terror attack was inspired by ISIS.
Further details about Sajid Akram have been disclosed by the authorities. He hailed from Hyderabad, a tech and pharma hub in India, where he completed a Bachelor of Commerce before relocating to Australia on a student visa in 1998.
In 2001, he switched to a partner visa after marrying Naveed’s mother, Venera. During this period, the alleged gunman made six trips back to India.
However, he did not return in 2017 when his father passed away, and his family in India have stated they were unaware of his extremist beliefs, according to the police.
An Indian Police spokesperson revealed: “The family members have expressed no knowledge of his [Sajid’s] radical mindset or activities, nor of the circumstances that led to his radicalisation. The factors that led to the radicalisation of Sajid Akram appear to have no connection with India or any local influence in Telangana.”
Regarding his visits, the most recent appears to have taken place in 2022. According to officials, these were undertaken for family matters or property-related business.
It is understood that communication with his relatives became increasingly sporadic in recent times.
This fresh intelligence from Indian law enforcement coincides with the emergence of a clear photograph one week following the horrific incident. The timing of when this image was captured remains unknown, though it has been widely shared across Australian news outlets.
Australian officials are simultaneously conducting their own inquiry into a journey the father and son undertook to the Philippines prior to the terror incident. Immigration authorities have verified that the duo departed for the South-East Asian nation on November 1, though the motive behind this excursion has yet to be established.
