Financial influencer V Harish, who had over a million followers, died by suicide in a rented villa near Chennai. His father stated that Harish was subjected to 'targeted attacks' by Jason Samuel, CEO of the venture studio Zemuria Inc.
After Meta blocked Harish's Instagram account based on statements made by Samuel, he began posting videos under a new pseudonym. However, Samuel denied all accusations of cyberbullying.
On Wednesday, Samuel posted a message on X expressing deep sorrow and shock over the incident, stating: 'I am deeply saddened, greatly mournful, shocked, and stunned by what happened, and I mourn the loss of life.'
He continued, asserting that he did not engage in cyberbullying, but merely pointed out Harish's lack of license and authority, as well as the distortion of information regarding licenses and fraud concerning SEBI and AMFI, since he did not have an SEBI RIA license for his work, although he claimed to have recently obtained an AMFI license. He labeled this illegal activity.
Samuel added that he had asked him in a video to return and work with a proper SEBI license, and never anticipated or expected such a drastic outcome, mourning the loss.
Harish's father claimed that the online dispute caused stress to the 27-year-old young man, contributing to his death. He approached the police requesting an investigation into the circumstances of his son's death, but the case has not been registered yet.
According to South First, the Tambaram police have added a charge of abetment to suicide under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) in connection with the death of V Harish. The police are investigating the circumstances of his demise and the allegations of online harassment raised by the family.