Indian man suspected of faking Bondi Beach mass shooting injury to receive victim compensation

Australian police arrested a 46-year-old Indian man, Simaxwell Cyril, for allegedly fabricating an injury from the December 2025 Bondi Beach Hanukkah mass shooting to claim victim compensation. He faces fraud charges and was also detained for visa overstay, expected to be deported.

Australian police in New South Wales arrested a 46-year-old Indian man, identified by The Daily Telegraph as Simaxwell Cyril, on suspicion of fabricating an injury from the December 14, 2025 Hanukkah terror attack at Bondi Beach to obtain victim compensation. Cyril allegedly claimed he was struck by shrapnel and filed fraudulent claims under a government assistance program that offers a one-time payment of 35,000 Australian dollars to eligible victims wounded by gunfire or shrapnel, plus recognition grants and medical expense coverage. The suspicions emerged during a separate police investigation into the attack response. Cyril was charged with publishing false or misleading information to obtain a benefit and making a false representation that initiated a police investigation. He was released on bail with restrictive conditions and must appear in court on November 18. After his release, Australian immigration authorities arrested him for allegedly overstaying his visa, and he is expected to be deported. Alex Ryvchin of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry condemned the alleged fraud as an abhorrent act. The article also notes that the main suspect in the attack, Naveed Akram, faces 78 charges, and his hearing was postponed to February 2027.