Australian police are investigating the background of the gunmen accused of a deadly shooting at Bondi Beach, which left fifteen people dead and many others injured during a Hanukkah celebration. As part of this investigation, an image circulated on social media claiming to show one of the attackers meeting an Indian defence official in Manila. This image has been confirmed as an artificial intelligence-generated fabrication by both the Indian Ministry of External Affairs and technology experts.
The image in question was shared in posts across various platforms, including X, on December 16, 2025. The caption suggested that it depicted Naveed Akram with Captain Kant Kothari, the Defence Attaché of India to the Philippines, implying that Akram visited the Philippines on an Indian passport prior to the Bondi Beach attack. The photo shows two men conversing outside a Jollibee fast-food restaurant, but authorities quickly pointed out its inauthenticity.
Australian police revealed that Sajid Akram and his son, Naveed, were in the Philippines for most of November 2025, with their last known location being Davao. This region has a documented history of Islamist insurgencies, although Philippine officials state there is no evidence of it being used for terrorist training. The police described the Bondi Beach incident, which they classified as a terrorist attack targeting the Jewish community, as part of their ongoing investigation into the shooters’ movements.
In response to the circulated image, India’s Ministry of External Affairs issued a statement on December 17, categorizing it as “fake” and urging vigilance against disinformation on social media. The ministry also clarified that there had been no confirmed meetings between the accused gunmen and Indian diplomats in the Philippines.
A reverse image search revealed that the photo was marked as “Made with Google AI,” indicating its origins. Moreover, an analysis using Google’s SynthID tool, which was launched in May 2025 to identify AI-generated content, confirmed with a “Very High” degree of confidence that the image was artificially created. The image exhibited typical errors associated with AI generation, such as distorted text on the Jollibee food packaging and inconsistencies in the size of vehicles in the background.
The Australian Associated Press and India’s The Quint have previously debunked this image, reaffirming its status as misinformation. The Bondi Beach shooting has been accompanied by a wave of false narratives, with fact-checkers working diligently to clarify the details surrounding this tragic event.
As investigations continue, officials are focusing on the implications of this attack and the narratives that emerge in the wake of such incidents. The Australian police remain committed to uncovering the full story behind the actions of Sajid and Naveed Akram, as well as the motivations that led to this tragic event.
