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New Delhi: One of the men involved in the massacre at Sydney's Bondi Beach in Australia on December 14 had visited India six times after migrating from the country in 1998, Telangana Police said in a statement.
The police clarified that Sajid Akram, one of the attackers, migrated to Australia nearly 27 years ago, in November 1998, after completing a B Com degree in Hyderabad. The clarification comes amid earlier reports that had wrongly identified the attacker as being of Pakistani origin.
According to the police, Sajid Akram maintained limited contact with his family in Hyderabad over the years and visited India only six times, mainly for family-related matters such as property issues and visits to his elderly parents. A report by NDTV mentioned that Sajid did not return to India for his father's funeral in 2017.
The Telangana Police said Sajid Akram's radicalisation and actions appear to have no connection with India or any local influence in Telangana. He continued to hold an Indian passport, while his son Naveed Akram, 24 -- the second accused -- and his daughter were born in Australia and are Australian citizens.
Police further confirmed that Sajid Akram had no adverse record in India prior to his migration.
Telangana Director General of Police (DGP) said Sajid Akram, originally from Hyderabad, moved to Australia in search of employment and later married a woman of European origin, Venera Grosso, before settling there permanently. The couple had two children -- a son and a daughter.
Reports further mentioned that Sajid Akram had minimal contact with his family over the past 27 years.
The DGP reiterated that the reasons behind the radicalisation of Sajid Akram and his son had no links to India or Telangana. He said the state police would cooperate fully with central agencies and other departments if required.
The father-son duo carried out the attack at Sydney's Bondi Beach during a Jewish Hanukkah celebration, killing 15 people and injuring several others. Police have described the incident as an act of terrorism. A large crowd had gathered at the beach when the two opened fire for nearly 20 minutes. In the retaliatory action, Sajid Akram was killed, while Naveed Akram was shot and injured.
