Chennai Influencer v Harish Dies by Suicide; Father Alleges Cyberbullying, Jason Samuel Denies It

V Harish, a 27-year-old financial consultant and social media influencer known for his brand 'Finance With Harish', has died by suicide at his rented villa in Muttukadu, Chennai. Harish, who had over 1.3 million followers across Instagram and YouTube, was found hanging on Tuesday. His father, J Vinayagam, has alleged that sustained cyberbullying, defamatory posts and threats by fellow influencer Jason Samuel contributed to his son's mental distress. Police have registered a case of unnatural death and are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.

According to reports, Harish had been creating content about finance and investments for five years. His father alleged that Samuel, the CEO of venture studio Zemuria Inc., had targeted his son over his professional credentials and online activities.

In his complaint, Vinayagam claimed that Samuel published videos and social media posts on October 18 accusing Harish of being a fraud and misleading the public. The complaint also alleged repeated attempts to disrupt Harish's online presence.

Police said Harish's social media channel was mass-reported and blocked in September, along with another account. He subsequently launched a new channel, which was also reported and blocked.

Harish had reportedly recorded a video before his death in which he blamed Samuel and described the threats he had allegedly faced. “He threatened to get all my social media accounts blocked and stop me from creating new ones,” Harish reportedly said in the video.

His father has urged the police to examine the recording, preserve relevant digital evidence and investigate the circumstances surrounding the blocking of his accounts.

Chennai Influencer With 1.3 Million Followers Dies by Suicide

I am deeply saddened, heavily grieving, shocked and frozen at what has happened and I mourn the loss of life.

I have not cyber-bullied him. I pointed out his lack of license and authority, misrepresentation of license and fraud on SEBI and AMFI where he has not got SEBI RIA for his work and misrepresented that he had an AMFI license when he got the ARN only recently. i.e., his illegal activity.

I literally asked him in the video to come back and do this with a proper SEBI license. I never intended or expected this drastic measure to happen and I mourn the loss.

— Jason Samuel (@the_jasonsamuel) October 20, 2026

Jason Samuel Denies Cyberbullying Allegations

Samuel denied the allegations in a post on X on Tuesday evening, expressing shock and grief over Harish's death. He maintained that his criticism concerned the influencer's professional credentials and alleged misrepresentation of regulatory authorisations.

"I am deeply saddened, heavily grieving, shocked and frozen at what has happened and I mourn the loss of life. I have not cyber-bullied him. I pointed out his lack of licence and authority, misrepresentation of licence and fraud on SEBI and AMFI where he has not got SEBI RIA for his work and misrepresented that he had an AMFI license when he got the ARN only recently. i.e., his illegal activity," Samuel wrote.

"I literally asked him in the video to come back and do this with a proper SEBI licence. I never intended or expected this drastic measure to happen and I mourn the loss," he added.

Samuel claimed Harish did not hold a Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) registered investment adviser (RIA) licence and had misrepresented his registration with the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI).

The allegations regarding Harish's credentials and the claims of cyberbullying have yet to be independently established.

Police Investigate V Harish's Death

Kanathur police have registered a case of unnatural death and are examining statements from both sides. Investigators are expected to examine the video recorded by Harish, the social media posts in question and other available digital evidence as part of the probe.

The police investigation will seek to establish the circumstances leading to Harish's death and examine the allegations raised by his family.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 21, 2026 11:12 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).