CHENNAI: Kanathur police have arrested social media influencer Jason Samuel in connection with the alleged abetment of fellow influencer V Harish’s suicide.Samuel was picked up from Puducherry following a complaint by Harish’s father, who alleged that his son had faced cyberbullying and mental harassment.Harish, a 27-year-old financial consultant and social media influencer, was found dead at his rented villa in Muttukadu near Chennai on Tuesday.He had built a following of around 1.3 million on social media by creating content on finance and investments over five years.In a video recorded before his death, Harish allegedly blamed Samuel for his decision to die by suicide. He claimed that Samuel had threatened to get all his social media accounts blocked and prevent him from creating new ones.Harish’s father, J Vinayagam, alleged that Samuel had subjected his son to sustained online harassment through defamatory posts, videos and threats.According to the complaint, Samuel had published videos and social media posts on October 18 accusing Harish of being a fraud and misleading the public.Police had earlier 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.Samuel had denied the allegations in a social media post, saying he had questioned Harish’s credentials and his authorisation to offer financial advice.He claimed Harish did not hold a Securities and Exchange Board of India-registered investment adviser (RIA) licence and had misrepresented his registration with the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI).Samuel also said he had never expected Harish to take such an extreme step.Before the arrest, Kanathur police had registered a case of unnatural death and were examining statements from both sides. Harish’s father had urged investigators to examine the video recorded by his son and preserve relevant digital evidence, including social media posts and information related to the blocking of his accounts.
