Indian National Charged With Assault On Lufthansa Flight Diverted To Boston

Praneeth Kumar Usiripalli, a 28-year-old Indian national, was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon after allegedly stabbing two 17-year-old male passengers with a metal fork aboard Lufthansa flight 431 from Chicago to Frankfurt. The first victim was stabbed in the left clavicle while sleeping, and the second was stabbed in the back of the head, suffering a laceration. When flight crew attempted to restrain Usiripalli, he made a gun gesture with his fingers, put it in his mouth, and mimicked pulling the trigger, then slapped a female passenger and tried to slap a crew member. Due to the incident, the flight was diverted to Boston Logan International Airport, where Usiripalli was taken into custody. Though admitted previously on a student visa, Usiripalli currently lacks lawful status in the U.S. He faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted and will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.