WASHINGTON; The United States Department of Justice (DoJ) announced on Monday that an Indian national has been charged for assaulting two teenagers on an international flight travelling from Chicago to Germany.
According to the DoJ press release, 28-year-old Praneeth Kumar Usiripalli attacked two 17-year-old passengers with a metal fork aboard Lufthansa Flight 431, forcing the aircraft to make an emergency diversion to Boston.
The statement said, “Usiripalli first stabbed one 17-year-old male passenger in the shoulder with a metal fork and then stabbed another 17-year-old in the back of the head using the same fork.”
When flight crew members tried to restrain him, Usiripalli allegedly raised his hand, mimicked a gun with his fingers, put it in his mouth, and pretended to pull the trigger. Immediately afterward, he reportedly slapped a female passenger sitting next to him and attempted to strike a crew member.
Due to the violent disruption, the flight was diverted to Boston Logan International Airport, where law enforcement officers arrested Usiripalli upon landing.
The Department of Justice stated that Usiripalli had previously entered the United States on a student visa but currently has no valid immigration status.
He has been charged in the US District Court with one count of assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to cause bodily harm — a federal offense carrying a maximum penalty of ten years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
