Finance Influencer V Harish Dies by Suicide; Father Alleges Harassment by Tech CEO

Chennai: Finance influencer V Harish, who built a social media following of over a million by sharing content on investments and personal finance, was found dead at a rented villa near Chennai on Tuesday. His father has alleged that sustained online harassment and threats by tech entrepreneur Jason Samuel pushed the 27-year-old into severe mental distress.

Harish, who operated the social media brand ‘Finance With Harish’ on Instagram and YouTube, had been involved in a public dispute over his credentials to provide financial advice in the days before his death.

In a complaint filed at Kanathur police station, his father accused Samuel, CEO of venture studio Zemuria Inc, of targeting his son through social media posts, videos and alleged threats. The complaint also alleged that Samuel demanded Rs 3 crore and invoked the names of the Puducherry Chief Minister and an MLA while threatening Harish.

The allegations have not been independently established, and police are investigating the case.

Harish spoke about alleged threats in video

In a video recorded before his death, Harish described the impact of the dispute on his professional reputation and work. He alleged that he had been threatened with legal action over income tax-related issues and warned of possible jail time unless he paid money.

“My hard work of the last five years was stolen,” Harish said in the video, while alleging mental harassment and threats. He also claimed that the person threatening him had said he knew the Puducherry Chief Minister.

Harish urged people to make the video public, saying that defaming someone was unacceptable.

According to his father’s complaint, Samuel had threatened to block Harish’s existing and future social media accounts and allegedly made threats against his family. The father has asked police to examine the video, online posts, messages and other electronic evidence linked to the dispute.

Social media accounts taken down

Harish had built a following of more than 1.3 million on Instagram through his finance-focused content. His established account was disabled by Meta after allegations against him surfaced. He later began posting videos through a new account, which was also taken down.

His father alleged that Samuel published posts and videos on October 18 across Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, accusing Harish of misleading the public. He claimed the online content humiliated his son and caused him severe mental anguish.

The complaint has also sought an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the suspension of Harish’s social media accounts and whether other individuals were involved in the alleged harassment.

Tech CEO denies cyberbullying allegations

Samuel denied cyberbullying Harish in a post on X following the influencer’s death. He expressed grief over the incident and said his criticism had centred on Harish’s qualifications and authority to offer financial advice.

Samuel alleged that Harish did not hold a Registered Investment Adviser (RIA) licence from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). He also questioned Harish’s representation of his registration with the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI), claiming that the influencer had obtained his AMFI Registration Number (ARN) only recently.

Samuel said he had asked Harish to return to offering financial advice after obtaining the appropriate SEBI licence. He maintained that he had neither intended nor expected the dispute to result in such a tragedy.

Kanathur police are investigating Harish’s death and the allegations raised by his family. The claims made by both sides remain subject to investigation.