An Indian man has been charged with assault with a dangerous weapon following a violent incident aboard a Lufthansa flight that saw the plane forced to make an emergency landing.
Praneeth Kumar Usiripalli, 28, has been accused of stabbing two teenagers during the outburst on a flight from Chicago to Frankfurt.
Lufthansa Flight 431 was diverted to Boston Logan International Airport following the incident.
The US Attorney's Office has said that Mr Usiripalli faces one count of assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm while travelling on a plane in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States, per prosecutors.
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Charging documents referred to by the Attorney’s Office allege that shortly after the flight's meal service, a dozing 17-year-old passenger awoke to find Mr Usiripalli standing over him.
The Indian national then allegedly stabbed the teen in the left clavicle with a metal fork.
Mr Usiripalli is then accused of lunging at another 17-year-old seated nearby, striking him on the back of the head with the same utensil.
This left the second victim with lacerations to the back of the head.
A Lufthansa plane was forced to make an emergency landing after an Indian man allegedly 'stabbed two teenagers and slapped a woman'
|GETTY
Crew members are then said to have intervened, where prosecutors say Mr Usiripalli then mimicked the shape of a gun with his hands before putting his fingers in his mouth and miming pulling the trigger.
After the gesture, the alleged assailant was said to have turned to a female passenger and slapped her across the face.
He was then said to have attempted to do the same to a female crew member.
The Lufthansa flight then made a diverted landing in Boston, where Mr Usiripalli was immediately taken into custody.
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Praneeth Kumar Usiripalli has been charged faces one count of assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm
|GETTY
Prosecutors have said that Mr Usiripalli currently lacks lawful immigration status in the US.
He was said to have entered the United States on a student visa.
Most recently, he was enrolled in a master’s program in biblical studies.
The US Attorney’s Office confirmed that Mr Usiripalli is expected to appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
The incident forced an emergecy landing at Boston Logan International Airport
|GETTY
The FBI’s official X account also confirmed their Boston office had: “Charged Praneeth Kumar Usiripalli, an Indian national, with allegedly stabbing two minor victims with a metal fork while on board a Lufthansa flight from Chicago to Germany.”
It comes as an EasyJet passenger was accused of attacking a crew member after touching down in Spain before fleeing the terminal earlier this year.
As the plane doors opened on the flight, which left from Gatwick Airport, the man struck the airline worker before fleeing the scene.
The cabin crew member was unable to work the return left after sustaining shoulder injuries, leaving the airline understaffed and sparking travel chaos.
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