Finance influencer V Harish dies; family alleges online harassment by fellow YouTuber

V Harish, a 27-year-old finance influencer with over a million followers, was found dead at a villa near Muttukadu, on the outskirts of Chennai. His father, J Vinayagam, lodged a police complaint alleging that fellow YouTuber Jason Samuel engaged in sustained cyberbullying, posting defamatory messages and threatening to block Harish’s accounts. Samuel, the CEO of Zemuria Inc., responded on X, stating he merely highlighted Harish’s lack of SEBI registration and denied any bullying.

Harish’s channels had been mass-reported and blocked earlier in the year over questions about his credentials as a Registered Investment Adviser. Authorities have registered a case of unnatural death and are reviewing the circumstances surrounding the blocked accounts and the alleged online harassment. No suicide note has been found, and an autopsy is pending.