Chennai financial influencer ends life amid cyberbullying allegations, YouTuber booked

Chennai: A 27-year-old financial content creator died by suicide at a rented villa near Muttukadu in Chennai following alleged cyberbullying over his investment advisory credentials, police said on Wednesday.

Identified as V Harish, the victim ran the popular social media brand “Finance With Harish,” and had amassed over 1.3 million followers across Instagram and YouTube for his content on finance and investments.

His father, Vinayagam, has lodged a formal complaint with the Kanathur police against YouTuber and Zemuria Inc. CEO Jason Samuel, police told PTI.

Police added that they received the news about the death on October 20.

According to them, the complainant alleged that a video posted by Samuel on October 18, which questioned Harish’s Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) credentials, triggered severe online harassment and pressure that drove his son to take his own life.

Following the video’s release, Harish’s social media accounts were reportedly mass-reported and disabled.

Meanwhile, Samuel publicly denied the cyberbullying allegations in a social media statement, asserting that he was acting in the consumer interest in highlighting that Harish lacked a SEBI Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) license.

He stated that pointing out regulatory violations and a fake license does not incite suicide.

The Kanathur police have registered a case of unnatural death. Authorities are currently examining statements from both parties and investigating digital evidence, including a video reportedly recorded by Harish prior to his death.