Mid-air stabbing: Indian national attacks two passengers with metal fork, Chicago to Frankfurt flight diverted to Boston

AN Indian national allegedly stabbed two teenagers and tried to slap a crew member mid-air during his flight from Chicago to Germany over the weekend, according to authorities.

The Lufthansa airline flight was diverted to Boston following the incident, the authorities said in a media release on Monday.

The accused has been identified as Praneeth Kumar Usiripalli, 28, with authorities saying that he had previously been admitted to the US on a student visa.

The incident took place on Lufthansa flight 431 en route from Chicago to Frankfurt.

Lufthansa mid-air stabbing: What happened?

As per reports, the mid-air stabbing incident happened shortly after the Chicago to Germany flight took off, just after the meal service.

According to the US Attorney's Office in Massachusetts, Usiripalli stabbed the minors with a metal fork after the meal service.

One of the minors was lightly asleep in a middle seat and he woke to find out that the Indian man was lunging over him with the fork in his hand. Usiripalli allegedly attacked the teenager with his right hand using the fork in the left collar bone area.

Usiripalli then allegedly stabbed a second 17-year-old male passenger in the back of the head with the same metal fork.

The second teenager suffered a laceration to the rear of his head, the Attorney's office said.

“When flight crew members attempted to subdue Usiripalli, he allegedly raised his hand, formed a gun with his fingers, put it in his mouth and pulled an imaginary trigger,” authorities said.

He then immediately turned around to his left and slapped a female passenger before allegedly trying to slap another crew member.

Indian national arrested

Owing to the chaos, the flight was directed to Boston and Usiripalli was arrested upon landing.

The arrest happened on October 25.

Usiripalli has been charged at the US District Court with one count of assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm while travelling on an aircraft, the Attorney's office said.

The charge of 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 provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.

The 28-year-old, who was enrolled in a programme to do biblical studies, will be produced at a Boston court at a later date, after which his punishment will be decided.