 "28-year-old Indian stabs teens on Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt. What happened?")
An Indian man has been accused of stabbing two teenagers on a flight from the United States to Germany.
Praneeth Kumar Usiripalli is accused of using a metal fork to stab two 17-year-old male teens on a Lufthansa flight. Usiripalli also allegedly slapped a female passenger and attempted to assault a crew member.
But what do we know about Usiripalli? And what happened?
Let’s take a closer look:
What we know
Usiripalli, 28, is enrolled in a master’s programme in biblical studies. Usiripalli, who entered the US on a student visa, doesn’t have lawful immigration status.
He was on a 4.26 pm flight on Saturday from Chicago O’Hare International Airport to Frankfurt. The incident occurred when the plane had been in the air for two hours. Meals were being served on the flight at the time of the disturbance.
One of the teenagers was sleeping in the middle seat. He awoke to see Usiripalli standing over him. Usiripalli then stabbed him in the clavicle with the fork and then jammed the fork into the back of the head of the other teenager, which caused a laceration.
When the crew attempted to stop Usiripalli, he made a gun gesture with his fingers, placed it in his mouth and then mimed pulling the trigger. Usiripalli then struck a woman passenger and attempted to hit a flight attendant before he was subdued.
The plane was then diverted to Boston Logan International Airport. Usiripalli was taken into custody by the authorities after the plane reached Boston Airport.
Usiripalli facing 10 years in prison, $250,000 (Rs 2.2 crore) fine
Usiripalli is accused of assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm. Authorities have charged him with “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 now faces up to 10 years in prison and a possible maximum fine of $250,000 (Rs 2.2 crore). He will now appear at a federal court in Boston. There are no confirmed reports of a court date or whether he has legal representation.
This isn’t the first time such an incident has occurred aboard a flight. In 2023, a man attempted to stab several people, including a flight attendant, with a broken spoon. That incident, which occurred on 5 March 2023, witnessed Francisco Severo Torres attempting to open the craft’s emergency exit mid-flight.
Torres made a weapon by breaking a metal spoon in the restroom, approached flight attendants and “thrust towards one of the flight attendants in a stabbing motion … hitting the flight attendant on the neck area three times.”
He also threatened to “kill every man on this plane” and said, “I’m taking over this plane.” Torres was arrested on arrival in Boston and later pleaded guilty. Torres was sentenced to time served and banned from flying commercially.
Authorities noted that Torres had a history of mental health issues and encounters with the police. Aviation authorities say such incidents are part of a wider trend of “unruly passenger” incidents in aviation. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has noted a “rapid growth” in flights disrupted by threatening or violent behaviour.
With inputs from agencies
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