Indian Passport Revealed After Sydney Attack at Bondi Beach

• Indian High Commission issued attacker’s passport in 2022.
• Passport lists Hyderabad, Telangana as the place of origin.
• India’s efforts appear aimed at tarnishing Pakistan’s image internationally.

Filipino media reports have revealed an Indian passport belonging to Sajid Akram, the suspect involved in the deadly Bondi Beach attack during a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney, which resulted in at least 15 fatalities.

The attack was carried out by a father-and-son duo, Sajid Akram and Naveed, who opened fire during the event on December 14, sending shockwaves across the country and compounding fears of growing antisemitism and violent extremism.

The victims included a rabbi with five children, a Holocaust survivor, and a 10-year-old girl named Matilda Britvan, according to reports from officials, interviews, and media outlets. Two police officers are still in critical but stable condition in the hospital, NSW police stated.

Records obtained by the Philippines’ ABS-CBN News show Naveed Akram holds an Australian passport, while his father Sajid entered Australia with an Indian passport.

Sajid Akram was issued a 10-year Indian passport by the Indian High Commission on February 24, 2022. The passport, now publicly available, lists Hyderabad in Telangana as his place of birth and has an expiration date of February 23, 2032.

Despite knowing Sajid’s Indian citizenship from the outset, authorities reportedly presented a different narrative, attempting to link the attack to Pakistan, as reported by Geo News.

Further insights reveal that Naveed Akram also possesses an Indian passport. However, Indian officials allegedly concealed this fact, allowing local media to circulate false reports that portrayed the attacker as a Pakistani national.

After the attack, Indian outlets faced accusations of spreading misinformation before evidence confirming the attacker’s Indian nationality surfaced publicly. This narrative was seen as an attempt to tarnish Pakistan’s reputation internationally, a claim that fell apart once the facts became clear.

Last year, British newspaper The Guardian reported that Australia expelled two RAW (Research & Analysis Wing) operatives in 2020 for illegal activities, including monitoring members of the Indian diaspora.

‘No evidence suggests Bondi Beach gunmen received military training in the Philippines’

The Philippines’ National Security Adviser, Eduardo Ano, stated on Wednesday that there is no evidence indicating the suspects involved in the Bondi attack received military training during their visit to the country.

He explained that just visiting the Philippines does not suffice as proof of terrorist training, and the length of their stay likely did not allow for any organized military instruction. The investigation covers their travels from November 1 to 28, with efforts ongoing in cooperation with Australian authorities to determine their purpose.

Despite reports suggesting the Philippines as a hub for extremism, Ano dismissed these as outdated and misleading. Immigration records show the suspects arrived in Manila, traveled to Davao City in Mindanao—known for militant activity—and left on November 28, headed back to Sydney via Davao.

The Bureau of Immigration confirmed that the father-son pair entered the Philippines from Australia on November 1 and departed on November 28, with Davao as their final destination and Sydney as their travel end point.

Philippine regional police launch investigation

The Davao Regional Police are investigating whether the suspects stayed in the area or only passed through. Spokesperson Maj Catherine Dela Rey stated that the multi-agency probe aims to uncover their activities: where they stayed or whom they met, or if they only transited through Davao.

Police emphasized that the Davao region remains peaceful despite its association with the overseas incident, maintaining its calm throughout the year.

— Additional details from Reuters