Man charged after 2 teens allegedly stabbed with metal fork on plane
A plane from Chicago to Germany was diverted after a man allegedly stabbed two teens with a metal fork.
The Lufthansa flight took off on Oct. 25, and was en route to Frankfurt when the incident occurred, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. After the in-flight meal service, the man — a 28-year-old from India — allegedly stabbed a 17-year-old male passenger in the shoulder with a fork. The passenger had been sleeping lightly in a middle seat and woke up to see the man was standing over him, the attorney’s office said.
???? Indian man charged with allegedly stabbing two minor victims with a metal fork while on board a Lufthansa flight from Chicago to Germany.https://t.co/VIGfyP9pzi
— U.S. Attorney Massachusetts (@DMAnews1) October 27, 2025
Then, the man allegedly lunged toward another passenger, also a 17-year-old male, who was in a middle seat in the centre row of the plane. He struck the 17-year-old in the back of the head with the same fork.
The man slapped a female passenger while flight crew members tried to subdue him. He also tried to slap a flight crew member. During this time, it is alleged that the man made a gun with his fingers, put it in his mouth and pulled an imaginary trigger, the attorney’s office said.
While he was handcuffed after being subdued, he yelled phrases such as “I am the reason for COVID” and “I am a sinner in the eyes of Siddhartha,” according to a criminal complaint obtained by National Post. ( Siddhartha Gautama was the fifth-century founder of Buddhism. He was later known as the Buddha.)
The plane diverted to Boston approximately two hours into the flight, after the pilot was alerted to the incident. The 28-year-old man was taken into custody upon landing in Massachusetts.
The first victim, who was struck in the left clavicle, did not suffer from any visible injuries as he was wearing a large hoodie, the complaint said. The 17-year-old told authorities that he had “exchanged pleasantries” with the suspect while the flight was boarding, but otherwise they had no other interactions.
The second victim suffered from a laceration. He was treated by paramedics at the gate.
The man was charged with one count of assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm while traveling on an aircraft in the U.S. jurisdiction. That charge could lead to a 10-year prison sentence, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to US$250,000.
The attorney’s office said the man was let into the U.S. on a student visa and had been enrolled in a master’s program in biblical studies. However, he currently does not have lawful status in the U.S.
He is expected to appear in federal court in Boston.
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