Indian magician who vanished after being lowered into a river while tied in chains is feared dead, police say – as first images of the stunt emerge

• Indian magician feared dead after being lowered in Hooghly River in chains 
• Chanchal Lahiri still hasn’t been found since he attempted the trick on Sunday
• Before he said: ‘If I can free myself it will be magic, if I cannot it will be tragic’ 
• Tried the same stunt in 2013 but was assaulted by onlookers who claimed they saw how he escaped through a door that was clearly visible 

An Indian magician who went missing after being lowered into a river while tied up with chains and ropes in a Houdini-inspired stunt is feared drowned, police said Monday.

Chanchal Lahiri, known by his stage name ‘Jadugar Mandrake’ (Wizard Mandrake), was lowered by winch into the river in Kolkata on Sunday in a yellow and red costume.

But the 40-year-old, his legs and his arms tightly bound, failed to emerge from the water, to the horror of onlookers including his family and team members.

Chanchal Lahiri (pictured), known by his stage name ‘Jadugar Mandrake’ (Wizard Mandrake), was lowered by winch into the river in Kolkata on Sunday in a yellow and red costume

Rescue workers have been scouring the fast-flowing murky waters since Sunday but he is yet to be found, said Syed Waquar Raza of the river traffic police.

‘We fear he drowned in the river,’ he said.

Lahiri said beforehand that he had successfully pulled off a similar stunt 21 years ago at the same venue in the eastern city.

The 40-year-old had his legs and his arms tightly bound for the trick. He did successfully pull off a similar stunt 21 years ago near to the spot of his latest attempt

Before attempting his trick yesterday he said: ‘If I can free myself it will be magic, if I cannot it will be tragic’

‘I was inside a bullet proof glass box tied with chain and locks and dropped down from Howrah bridge. Then I came out within 29 seconds.’

He admitted it would be tough to free himself this time.

‘If I can open it up then it will be magic, but if I can’t it will be tragic,’ he said.

He also said he was undertaking the death-defying stunt to ‘revive interest in magic’.

Chanchal Lahiri was lowered into the river by crane as family members, media and police watched from the banks. Pictured is Lahiri being lowered into the Hooghly river in 2002 during a similar stunt

https://youtube.com/watch?v=tcRmXbi2-qs%3Ffeature%3Doembed

When Lahiri tried another stunt at the river in 2013, he was assaulted by onlookers who saw him escape from a locked cage via a door that was clearly visible.

He was beaten and punched and his long flowing golden-brown wig was pulled off by the crowd.

Almost a decade earlier, he declared he would walk on the river waters but had to beat a hasty retreat when the act went wrong.

Harry Houdini was a Hungarian-born American stuntman who became a sensation in the early 20th century with daredevil feats including escaping from a crate lowered into the East River in New York in 1912.     

Lahiri has attempted similar tricks in the past but was labelled a fraud when onlookers claimed they could see his escape door on a metal cage in 2013 

But the 40-year-old failed to emerge from the water, triggering a frantic search by authorities and his family have confirmed they are still looking for him. Pictured is Lahiri being lowered into the Hooghly river in a glass cage box bolted with 36 locks

When Lahiri tried the stunt at the river in 2013, he was assaulted by onlookers who saw through his escape from a locked cage via a door that was clearly visible

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