Indian man stabs two teens with metal fork on Lufthansa flight; plane diverted to Boston

A 28-year-old Indian, Praneeth Kumar Usiripalli , has been charged in the United States after allegedly stabbing two teenage passengers with a metal fork and slapping a co-passenger on board a Lufthansa flight from Chicago to Frankfurt, authorities said.

The incident occurred on Saturday, prompting the flight to divert to Boston Logan International Airport, according to a statement from the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.

According to the court documents, Usiripalli allegedly attacked a 17-year-old passenger by stabbing him in the shoulder with a metal fork, then stabbed another 17-year-old in the back of the head, causing a laceration.

Usiripalli has been charged with one count of assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm while on an aircraft within US jurisdiction. He was arrested on October 25 and is scheduled to appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.

If convicted, he will face up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to US $250,000, according to prosecutors.