CHENNAI: “He threatened to get all my social media accounts blocked and stop me from creating new ones,” 27-year-old financial consultant and social media influencer V Harish reportedly said in a video recorded before his death, in which he blamed fellow influencer Jason Samuel for his decision to die by suicide.Harish, who had 1.3 million social media followers and had been creating content on finance and investments for five years, was found hanging at his rented villa in Muttukadu, Chennai, on Tuesday. His father, J Vinayagam, has alleged that sustained cyberbullying, defamatory posts and threats by Samuel caused his son severe mental distress.According to Vinayagam’s complaint, Samuel published videos and social media posts on October 18 accusing Harish of being a fraud and misleading the public. The complaint also alleged that Harish faced repeated attempts to disrupt his online presence.Police said Harish’s channel was mass-reported and blocked in September, along with another social media account. He subsequently launched a new channel, which was also reported and blocked.Vinayagam has urged police to examine the video recorded by his son before his death, preserve relevant digital evidence and investigate the circumstances surrounding the blocking of his accounts.Samuel denies allegationsSamuel denied the allegations in a social media post, saying he had questioned Harish’s credentials and authorisation to offer financial advice.He 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).Samuel said he had never expected Harish to take such an extreme step.Kanathur police have registered a case of unnatural death and are examining statements from both sides.
