Sajid’s Family Had Limited Interactions, Say Neighbours

Hyderabad: The usually busy children's play area in Tolichowki’s Al-Hasanath Colony wore a deserted look on Tuesday after residents discovered that the family of Sajid Akram, an accused in the Bondi Beach shooting in Australia, had once lived in the area.

Doors to the house belonging to the accused's family remained shut. No police personnel were seen stationed outside the house at the time of reporting, even as word spread quickly through the narrow lanes of the colony and reporters congregated.

Residents said they were taken aback by the news but claimed to have little knowledge about the family. Several neighbours described them as detached from the surrounding community and said the house rarely saw visitors and had long blended into the background of the locality.

Junaid, who lives in Saudi Arabia and had come to Hyderabad to meet his family, resides right next to Sajid’s brother’s house. “When we were here some years ago, we always believed it was a haunted house. Nobody ever came out. They have been living here for over 20 years now,” Junaid said.

“They always kept to themselves. They rarely stepped out or interacted with anyone in the area. Sajid’s brother Dr Shaheed, his wife, two children and his mother stay in the house,” said Junaid’s cousin Imtiaz.

Dr Shaheed works at a private hospital in the Old City and was largely seen only while leaving for work or returning home, locals said.

In an area where familiarity is often built through daily exchanges, neighbours said his routine remained limited and professional, with little interaction beyond greetings, if at all.

Locals said the family had lived in the area for several years but remained aloof. “We don’t know much about them. They never spoke to people here,” another neighbour said, adding that the news had come as a shock to residents.

Some residents also mentioned that the family had been dealing with a property-related dispute, though they declined to provide further details, saying they were unsure of its nature or stage.

Attempts to speak to any family member went in vain as the house remained locked throughout the day. Locals also said that Dr Shaheed’s mother had reportedly returned from Umrah recently.

They added that Dr Shaheed was last seen speaking to someone late on Monday night and not thereafter. “Somebody knocked on their door early in the morning. He spoke to them briefly and went inside again. He was not seen again,” Imtiaz said.