The Bondi Beach shooting has highlighted false claims circulated by sections of Indian media and social media accounts that attempted to link the attackers to Pakistan, allegations that later fell apart as verified facts emerged from international media outlets.
In the immediate aftermath of the incident, several Indian media organisations and social media users blamed Pakistan without verification, triggering what appeared to be a coordinated narrative at odds with confirmed information.
Indian newspaper The Hindu reported on Tuesday that the alleged gunman shot dead by police during Sunday’s attack was Sajid Akram, 50, originally from Hyderabad in India’s southern state of Telangana. According to the report, Akram moved to Australia in 1998.
Australian media identified the second suspect as Akram’s 24-year-old son, Naveed Akram, who was shot by police during the incident and later emerged from a coma. Reports confirmed that Naveed is an Australian citizen by birth.
Soon after the incident occurred, Indian television anchor Arnab Goswami and several social media users claimed that the suspects were linked to Pakistan.
Posts on X alleged, without evidence, that Naveed Akram was of Pakistani origin and had studied in Islamabad.
One post claimed: "This is the terrorist camp in Kotli… where Bondi Beach attackers were trained," while another alleged the suspects had travelled to Pakistan multiple times.
Meanwhile, Police in Australia said on Wednesday they had charged a man who allegedly opened fire on a Jewish event on Sydney's Bondi Beach with 59 offences, including a terror charge
