Magician’s live stunt in Hoogly turns fatal

Kolkata, June 17

A Kolkata-based magician, who attempted an underwater escape trick like legendary magician Harry Houdini, is feared to have drowned in the Hoogly river as his body could not be found till Monday afternoon.

Chanchal Lahiri, who goes by the stage name of “Jadugar Mandrake”, was on Sunday reportedly lowered into the river from Kolkata’s Millennium Park area with his hands and legs tied as part of the stunt, but could not come out of the water.

Eyewitnesses said Lahiri, who was lowered into the river standing in a six-foot tall cage having six locks, from Millennium Park here for the underwater escape act, disappeared near pillar number 28 of the Howrah Bridge.

Lahiri, a resident of southern suburbs of Kolkata, had done the same trick in 2013 in the same Hoogly river, but this time he ran out of luck and drowned.

Six years back, people watching his stunt had reportedly assaulted him after seeing through his trick.

The wizard was trying to do escape act popularised by American stunt performer Harry Houdini around 100 years back.

The police along with the Disaster Management Group began a search for him on Sunday after receiving information that he did not emerge from the river.

“We tried to spot him. But it seems the stream has swept him away. Our divers dived deep, but could not locate him. Lahiri had taken permission from both Kolkata Police and the Kolkata Port Trust, the police said.

“He had mentioned the act was to happen in a boat or vessel and there was no connection with water. Hence we allowed him permission. However, he vaguely mentioned an ‘extra act’ which he did not clarify,” a senior police officer said.

The magic was that he would come up from the water, by untying himself on his own. — PTI

Runs out of luck 

• Chanchal Lahiri, who goes by the stage name of ‘Jadugar Mandrake’, was on Sunday lowered into the river from Kolkata’s Millennium Park area with his hands and legs tied as part of the stunt
• The wizard was trying to do escape act popularised by American stunt performer Harry Houdini around 100 years ago
• Lahiri had done the same trick in 2013 in the same river, but this time he ran out of luck and drowned