In the chaotic hours following the tragic Bondi Beach mass shooting in Sydney on December 14, 2025 - which left at least 16 people dead and dozens injured - social media and some news outlets were flooded with false claims about the shooter’s identity.
Amid grief and confusion, several Indian media platforms and social media accounts erroneously asserted that the attacker was a Pakistani national, linking his alleged motives to Pakistan without evidence.
These claims were shared widely, often alongside unverified photos and misleading captions that amplified the narrative before any official confirmation from authorities.
However, verified information from Australian authorities and multiple fact-checks has now confirmed that the perpetrators were not Pakistani nationals.
The shooters were identified as Sajid Akram and his son, Naveed Akram, who had no ties to Pakistan, and at least Naveed was born in Australia as a citizen; his father arrived in Australia decades earlier.
- Now, the Indian police have also confirmed that the attacker belonged to India. According to Indian authorities, Sajid Akram originally hails from Hyderabad, India, putting to rest speculation surrounding his nationality that circulated in the immediate aftermath of the incident.
Police officials stated that the suspect maintained only limited contact with his family in India after relocating to Australia. Investigators revealed that Sajid Akram had visited India six times following his move abroad, though his family remained largely unaware of his personal circumstances and activities during that period.
Indian police emphasized that relatives of the accused were not informed about his situation in Australia and had no indication of any involvement in criminal or violent activities. Authorities noted that the family has been cooperative with investigators since the matter came to light.
In their statement, Indian police reaffirmed their commitment to working closely with Australian federal agencies and other relevant authorities to assist in the ongoing investigation. Officials stressed that information sharing and cross-border cooperation remain a priority to ensure a thorough and transparent probe.
The clarification comes amid widespread misinformation on social media and in some media reports following the Sydney attack, highlighting the importance of verified statements from law enforcement agencies as investigations continue.
Reports also indicate their background includes Indian heritage on the father’s side and Italian on the mother’s, further dispelling the claims that they were Pakistani.
It has been confirmed by Reuters which said that the father and son behind one of Australia’s deadliest mass shooting spent nearly the entire month of November in the Philippines, Manila’s immigration department confirmed on Tuesday, with the father entering the country as an Indian national.
Sajid Akram and his son Naveed, who allegedly killed 15 people and wounded dozens of others at a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney’s Bondi Beach, arrived on November 1 with the southern province of Davao listed as their final destination.
“Sajid Akram, 50, Indian national, and Naveed Akram, 24, Australian national, arrived in the Philippines together last November 1, 2025 from Sydney, Australia,” immigration spokeswoman Dana Sandoval told AFP, adding they departed on November 28.
The rush to assign nationality without verification also led to the misidentification of an innocent Pakistani-origin Sydney resident, whose photos were wrongly circulated as those of the attacker.
