Illegal Indian Immigrant Arrested After Violent Mid-Flight Stabbing on Lufthansa Jet — Diverted to Boston by Federal Authorities
Federal law enforcement agents arrested an Indian national who was in the United States illegally after a shocking mid-air stabbing incident aboard a Lufthansa flight on Saturday.
According to the Department of Justice, 28-year-old Praneeth Kumar Usiripalli faces a federal charge of assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm while traveling on an aircraft — a crime that carries up to ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The violence erupted aboard a Lufthansa flight from Chicago bound for Frankfurt, Germany, as the plane crossed over the Atlantic Ocean.
Mid-Air Mayhem Over the Atlantic
Federal prosecutors allege that Usiripalli used a metal fork to stab two 17-year-old passengers. Neither victim sustained life-threatening injuries, according to authorities.
🚨#FBI Boston has 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. Learn more: https://t.co/PRVulpkuaQ pic.twitter.com/VDkyAqM0x1
— FBI Boston (@FBIBoston) October 28, 2025
One of the teens was reportedly asleep when he awoke to see Usiripalli towering over him — moments before being stabbed in the shoulder. The second victim, seated next to the first, was then stabbed in the back of the head with the same metal utensil.
“The chaos didn’t stop there,” MassNewsLive reported.
“Witnesses told investigators that Usiripalli made a gun gesture with his hand, placed it in his mouth, and pretended to pull the trigger.”
According to the report, the suspect also slapped a nearby female passenger and swung at a flight attendant who attempted to intervene.
Emergency Landing and Arrest in Boston
The Lufthansa crew diverted the flight to Boston Logan International Airport, where federal and state officers boarded the aircraft and immediately took Usiripalli into custody.
Prosecutors revealed that Usiripalli originally entered the U.S. on a student visa, which has since expired, leaving him without legal immigration status. He had previously been enrolled in a master’s program in biblical studies, according to MassNewsLive.
The Department of Justice confirmed that Usiripalli remains in federal custody and will appear in U.S. District Court in Boston at a later date.
This violent episode marks yet another disturbing case of an illegal immigrant committing a serious crime inside the United States — this time, aboard an international flight.