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Houdini-like stunt turns fatal for magician
Soumya Das
DHNS
Last Updated IST
n this photo taken on June 16, 2019 Indian stuntman Chanchal Lahiri, known by his stage name "Jadugar Mandrake", is lowered into the Ganges river, while tied up with steel chains and ropes, in Kolkata. - An Indian magician who went missing after being lowered into a river tied up in chains and ropes in a Houdini-inspired stunt is feared drowned, police said June 17. (AFP)
n this photo taken on June 16, 2019 Indian stuntman Chanchal Lahiri, known by his stage name "Jadugar Mandrake", is lowered into the Ganges river, while tied up with steel chains and ropes, in Kolkata. - An Indian magician who went missing after being lowered into a river tied up in chains and ropes in a Houdini-inspired stunt is feared drowned, police said June 17. (AFP)

An attempt to perform a Harry Houdini-like stunt ended in tragedy on Sunday when a local magician most likely drowned in the Ganges in Kolkata near the Howrah Bridge.

According to locals the magician Chanchal Lahiri went into the river near the Millennium Park but disappeared near pillar number 28 of the Howrah Bridge. They added that Lahiri planned to be dropped in the river inside a cage with his hand and legs tied and then re-emerge from the river after freeing himself.

The police and personnel of disaster management team tried to search for him but the body is yet to be traced.

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Kolkata police sources say that Lahiri’s body has been swept away by the currents and it will take more time to locate. They added that there were no proper security measures for Lahiri’s stunt.

“After he jumped into the river we were all cheering him. But we started to worry when he did not surface after more than 10 minutes,” locals said.

Then they got in touch with officials of the local North Port Police Station who then rushed to the spot and started the search operation. Four divers have been pressed into service.

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(Published 17 June 2019, 08:54 IST)