A video claiming to show Firstpost’s Palki Sharma interviewing All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi allegedly stating that the Sydney Bondi Beach shooters are originally from Uttar Pradesh and defending the accused, has been altered using artificial intelligence.
BOOM found that two separate videos, one from an unrelated video report by Sharma on Japan–China ties and another from an old interview of Owaisi, were combined and altered using an AI-generated voiceover.
Two gunmen, identified as Sajid Akram (50) and his son Naveed Akram (24), carried out a mass shooting during a Jewish Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia, on December 14, 2025. They killed at least 15 people and injured many others. One of the gunmen was shot dead by police, and the other was critically wounded and later charged.
The Claim: Video shows Palki Sharma broadcasting an interview of Owasi stating the Bondi beach shooters are from UP, and defending them
The video was posted on X by the handle @il_jant with the caption, "Asaduddin Owaisi’s interview with Pallaki Sharma sheds light on Naveed and Sajid Akram from Uttar Pradesh. According to Owaisi, Sajid was decent, but his son struggled with mental health challenges."
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The same video was also posted by the Pakistani X handle The Whistle Blower '@InsiderWB'. BOOM has previously fact-checked the same handle for sharing digitally altered videos of top Indian defence personnel, pushing false and pro-Pakistan claims.
The video is part of an influence operation targeting India through deepfakes and other disinformation tactics. The ongoing disinformation campaign has targeted India's military establishment and political leadership
What We Found:
1) Original Palki Sharma and Asaduddin Owaisi Videos
BOOM found that the viral video has been created by combining two unrelated videos and overlaying them with a fake AI-generated voiceover
The visuals of Palki Sharma were taken from a November 26, 2025, video report titled “Amid Spat with Japan, Xi Jinping Dials Donald Trump.”
The visuals of Asaduddin Owaisi were taken from an October 11, 2025, interview conducted by ANI. The YouTube title of the interview reads: “‘I’m not BJP’s B-Team…’ Owaisi speaks on Afghan ties, Bulldozer action, Bareilly row & ‘Vote Chori’"
Both these videos pre-date the Sydney Bondi beach attack.
2) AI Deepfake Voice Detection Tool Result:
We ran the viral video through AI deepfake voice detection tool - Hiya Deepfake Voice Detector. The results confirmed that the voice in the viral video was overlaid onto the original video. The Hiya Deepfake Voice Detector gave the voices an authenticity score of 1 /100 and 17/100, indicating it’s likely a deepfake.
3) Bondi Attack Shooter Origins from Hyderabad, Not UP
The News Minute reported that Sajid Akram was originally from Hyderabad, India. Telangana Police stated that he had no adverse criminal record in India before leaving the country in 1998 and migrating to Australia.
The country of origin of the two gunmen has become a contentious topic on social media, particularly on Elon Musk-owned X. Several Indian and Pakistani handles have peddled disinformation around the same.
