Home / Crime and Justice / Bondi Attacker's Indian Roots: Family Unaware of Radicalism
Bondi Attacker's Indian Roots: Family Unaware of Radicalism
16 Dec, 2025
Summary
- Alleged Bondi attacker originated from Hyderabad, India.
- Second suspect, the attacker's son, has awoken from a coma.
- Victims included Holocaust survivor and volunteers, youngest a Ukrainian immigrant's child.
Sajid Akram, the alleged gunman in the recent Bondi beach attack, hailed from Hyderabad, India, where his family reportedly had no knowledge of his radical ideology. Indian police stated that factors leading to his alleged radicalization appear unconnected to India. Australian authorities are investigating Akram and his 24-year-old son, Naveed, who was also shot and hospitalized.
Naveed has since awoken from a coma and may face charges. The pair had traveled to the Philippines last month, though the purpose and any potential links to terrorist groups or training are still under investigation. The attack, which killed 15 people and injured 22, is being treated as an act of terrorism targeting the Jewish community.
Funerals for victims, including community figures like Rabbi Eli Schlanger, are scheduled for Wednesday. Among the deceased are Holocaust survivor Alexander Kleytman and devoted volunteers Marika Pogany, Boris Gurman, and Sofia Gurman. The youngest victim, 10-year-old Matilda, was the first child born in Australia to her Ukrainian immigrant parents.
