Indian police said on Tuesday that one of the two gunmen behind Australia's Bondi Beach mass shootings, Sajid Akram, was an Indian citizen who had left the country 27 years ago.

SYDNEY: A former colleague of one of the Bondi Beach attackers told a foreign media outlet that Naveed Akram’s background is Indian. In an interview with A Current Affair, former co-worker Lachie said he immediately identified Akram when he saw his photograph online.

In a shocking case of mistaken identity, Naveed Akram, a resident of Sydney, has found himself at the center of a distressing situation. His photograph was wrongfully plastered online, branding him as a shooter linked to a tragic incident at Bondi Beach.

Sajid Akram was shot dead at the scene, while Naveed was arrested and remains under police guard in hospital with serious injuries.

A muslim cemetary has been vandalised with decapitated pig heads as Australian leaders plead for calm following the Bondi massacre on Sunday.

A senior law enforcement official has confirmed that one of the Bondi Beach gunmen was Naveed Akram from Bonnyrigg in Sydney's south-west. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Akram's home in Bonnyrigg is currently being raided by police, ABC News Australia reported.

Australians grieved, left messages of condolences and lay flowers at a memorial for the 15 people who were killed in a mass shooting attack on a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach. Jewish mourners gathered for a menorah lighting ceremony at the floral memorial for the victims.