Indian man accused of faking a Bondi massacre injury to claim compensation is held in Australian immigration detention facing deportation

Simexwell Cyril, a 46-year-old Indian national whose visa had expired, was arrested on Tuesday and charged with publishing false and misleading material to obtain tens of thousands of dollars from a NSW government support scheme for victims of the December 2026 Bondi Beach massacre. Australian Border Force detained him immediately after his arrest and transported him to Villawood Immigration Detention Centre in Sydney's west. Police allege Cyril was not in Bondi at the time of the attack, in which father and son Sajid and Naveed Akram shot into a Hanukkah celebration, killing 15 people.

Those who sustained gunshot wounds or shrapnel injuries in the attack are eligible for a $35,000 lump-sum payout under the NSW scheme, which remains open until December 2027.

Cyril faces deportation once criminal proceedings are concluded; he is due to appear at Downing Centre Local Court on November 18.