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

New York | A 28-year-old Indian national allegedly stabbed two teens with a metal fork and slapped a co-passenger on board a Chicago to Germany flight, according to American authorities.

The incident occurred on Saturday on a Lufthansa flight that had to be diverted to Boston Logan International Airport following the disturbance, according to a press release by the US Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts.

According to charging documents, Praneeth Kumar Usiripalli allegedly stabbed a 17-year-old male passenger in the shoulder with a metal fork before stabbing another 17-year-old male passenger in the back of the head with the same fork. The second teen suffered a laceration on his head.

Usiripalli has been charged in the US 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 US.

He was arrested on October 25 and will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.

If convicted, he could be sentenced to prison for up to 10 years, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to USD 250,000. PTI GRS