Lufthansa flight horror: Indian man stabs two teens with 'fork'; faces 10 years in prison

A 28-year-old Indian national, Praneeth Kumar Usiripalli, has been charged in the United States after a violent mid-air outburst on a Lufthansa flight from Chicago to Frankfurt led to an emergency landing in Boston. According to US prosecutors, Usiripalli allegedly stabbed two 17-year-old passengers with a metal fork and tried to hit a flight attendant, forcing the crew to restrain him. The US Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts has charged him with assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to cause bodily harm while aboard an aircraft.

Investigators said one of the teenagers was asleep when Usiripalli attacked, stabbing him near the shoulder, before turning to the second teen and striking him in the back of the head. As the situation escalated, he allegedly slapped a female passenger, attempted to hit a crew member, and mimicked shooting himself using his fingers. Authorities confirmed that Usiripalli, who earlier held a student visa while pursuing a master’s degree in biblical studies, no longer has legal status in the US. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 if found guilty. The incident occurred amid nationwide air travel disruptions linked to the ongoing US government shutdown.

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United States Attorney Leah B Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police, made the announcement on Tuesday (October 28). Special assistance was provided by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston and US Customs and Border Protection. Assistant US Attorney Allegra Flamm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.