Indian national allegedly stabs 2 teens mid-flight; charged with assault

A 28-year-old Indian national has been charged after allegedly stabbing two teenagers with a metal fork and slapping a co-passenger on board a flight from Chicago to Germany, according to US authorities.

The incident took place on Saturday aboard a Lufthansa flight, which was diverted to Boston Logan International Airport following the disturbance, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts said in a press release.

The accused, identified as Praneeth Kumar Usiripalli, allegedly stabbed one 17-year-old male passenger in the shoulder and then another 17-year-old male in the back of the head with the same fork, causing a laceration. When efforts were made to restrain him, Usiripalli reportedly formed a mock gun with his fingers, placed it in his mouth and pulled an imaginary trigger.

He is also accused of slapping a female passenger and attempting to slap a member of the flight crew. There is currently no indication from authorities or court documents that Usiripalli was intoxicated at the time of the incident.

Court filings state that the alleged assaults occurred shortly after the in-flight meal service. Usiripalli has been charged in the United States District Court with one count of assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm while travelling on an aircraft in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States.

He was arrested on 25 October and is scheduled to appear in federal court in Boston at a later date. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of ten years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to USD 250,000.

According to the US Attorney’s Office, Usiripalli does not currently have lawful immigration status in the country. He had previously been in the United States on a student visa and was enrolled in a master’s programme in biblical studies.

The case adds to a series of recent incidents involving Indian-origin individuals overseas that have drawn attention to questions of conduct, immigration status and mental health.

Earlier this month, a 21-year-old Indian-origin man, Ishaan Sharma, was arrested after allegedly starting a mid-air brawl on a domestic US flight; he has been charged with battery following the altercation. In another case, an Indian-origin truck driver, Jashanpreet Singh, caused a multi-vehicle crash in southern California while allegedly intoxicated and undocumented, resulting in multiple fatalities.

Such episodes have prompted debate in policy circles and among diaspora communities about the pressures faced by immigrants and the need for closer oversight of mental health and legal compliance among non-resident populations. US federal authorities have also raised concerns over enforcement gaps relating to undocumented individuals working in regulated sectors such as commercial driving.

As the case against Usiripalli moves forward, investigators are expected to examine his background, mental state and the actions of both the crew and passengers who intervened.

With PTI inputs