Indian Student Stabs Teens With Fork, Slaps Female Flyer Aboard Germany-Bound Flight

Last Updated:October 28, 2025, 13:08 IST

28-year-old Praneeth Kumar Usiripalli also made a gun gesture and pretended to shoot himself during the flight.

In this AI-generated representative image, a passenger is shown causing a disturbance mid-flight while airline crew try to restrain him. (IMAGE: News18)

A Lufthansa flight from Chicago to Germany was forced to divert to Boston after an Indian passenger in his late twenties allegedly stabbed two teenage co-passengers with a metal fork and slapped a female flyer in a mid-air outburst.

According to US prosecutors, the man, identified as 28-year-old Praneeth Kumar Usiripalli, also made a gun gesture with his fingers, put it in his mouth and pretended to pull the trigger as the flight crew tried to restrain him.

Usiripalli has been charged with one count of assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to cause bodily harm, the US Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts said. The incident occurred on Saturday, and he was arrested after the plane made an emergency landing at Boston’s Logan Airport.

The complaint stated that Usiripalli was allegedly standing over a 17-year-old boy who was asleep in a middle seat. When the boy woke up, he saw Usiripalli towering over him before suddenly lunging and stabbing him near the left collarbone. He then attacked another 17-year-old, striking the back of his head with the same metal fork, causing a deep laceration.

When the cabin crew intervened, Usiripalli reportedly became more aggressive, making the mock gun gesture before slapping a female passenger and attempting to hit a flight attendant.

Authorities later said that Usiripalli, an Indian national, had previously entered the United States on an F-1 student visa and was enrolled in a master’s program in biblical studies. The F-1 visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows international students to pursue academic programs in the US, provided they maintain full-time enrollment and follow immigration guidelines.

Federal officials told NBC News that Usiripalli does not hold lawful status in the United States. If found guilty and deemed in violation of his visa terms, he may face deportation proceedings after serving any sentence or paying fines imposed by the court.

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