AKIPRESS.COM - An Indian magician who was lowered into a river while shackled in a bid to recreate Harry Houdini's world-famous trick has drowned, BBC said citing police.

Chanchal Lahiri was meant to escape and swim to safety but did not emerge from the Hooghly river in West Bengal state.

Crowds who watched him take the plunge on Sunday alerted the police, who then launched a search operation.

His body, which washed up some 1km (0.6 miles) from the site of the incident, was identified late on Monday.

Mr Lahiri, also known as Mandrake, was lowered into the river from a boat for his trick.

He was shackled with six locks and a chain as spectators on two boats watched him.

Several people had also gathered by the shore and some stood on the landmark Howrah Bridge in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta).

According to the Press Trust of India, the crowd started to panic after Mr Lahiri did not appear after more than 10 minutes.