The tragic death of Tamil Nadu finance influencer V Harish has sparked a major controversy after his father accused tech CEO Jason Samuel of cyberbullying him over unlicensed financial advice, leading to a police case for abetment to suicide.

The tragic death of Tamil Nadu finance influencer V Harish has sparked a major controversy after his father accused tech CEO Jason Samuel of cyberbullying him over unlicensed financial advice, leading to a police case for abetment to suicide.

The tragic death of Tamil Nadu finance influencer V Harish has sparked a major controversy after his father accused tech CEO Jason Samuel of cyberbullying him over unlicensed financial advice, leading to a police case for abetment to suicide.

The death of a 27-year-old finance influencer from Tamil Nadu has snowballed into a controversy after the deceased's father levelled allegations against a tech firm CEO for cyberbullying. V Harish, 27, who ran the popular social media brand 'Finance With Harish' on Instagram and YouTube, was found hanging at his rented villa in Chennai.

Harish used to provide finance-related videos, tips, and advice on the social media platform 'Finance with Harish'. He had around 1.3 million followers on social media.

As his followers and family reeled from the shock, Harish’s father, Vinayagam, filed a police complaint with the Kanathur police station in Chennai against Jason Samuel, the CEO of venture studio Zemuria Inc. In his complaint, Vinayagam alleged that Jason had posted a “defamatory video” against Harish, which resulted in cyberbullying. He added that the pressure and accusations forced Harish to take his own life.

As per reports, the police have filed a case of abetment to suicide against Jason.

Jason Samuel’s video

A few days before Harish’s death, Jason Samuel, who is also a YouTuber, had posted a video criticising Harish. In the video, Jason alleged that Harish was not a proper SEBI-registered Investment Advisor (RIA) or AMFI licensee and was defrauding the public by showing a fake license. A SEBI-registered Investment Advisor (RIA) is a financial professional or firm licensed by SEBI to provide unbiased, fee-based financial planning under a strict legal fiduciary duty to put your interests first.

After the video went viral, it created a stir, resulting in heated debates among Harish's followers. Soon after, reports claimed Harish’s Instagram account was disabled, following which he started posting videos through a new account.

After the news of his suicide broke, YouTuber Jason Samuel stated on his social media pages. "The loss of a human life gives me great shock and deep mental anguish. However, I did not personally cyberbully him. I was only pointing out the illegal activity of him violating SEBI and AMFI rules and providing financial advice to the public with a fake license, in the interest of consumers. Pointing out a scam does not incite suicide," he argued.

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