A tech CEO and a YouTuber, Jason Samuel Vijayakumar, has been arrested in connection with the suicide of Chennai-based financial influencer V Harish, after an investigation found that he had attempted to extort money from Harish and posted defamatory videos about him on social media, according to the police.
Samuel, the Chief Executive Officer of venture studio Zemuria Inc, was arrested on Thursday after police examined witness statements and documents in the case. He was produced before a magistrate and will be sent to judicial custody, police said.
Harish, 27, who ran the popular social media brand Finance With Harish, died by suicide at a rented villa in Chennai on October 20. He had built a following of more than 1.3 million across Instagram and YouTube over five years by sharing content on finance and investments.
In a police complaint, his father accused Samuel of targeting his son through social media posts, videos and threats that allegedly damaged the reputation he had built over five years.
The complaint alleged that Samuel demanded Rs 3 crore from Harish and invoked the names of the Puducherry Chief Minister and an MLA to threaten him. Harish's father also alleged that Samuel threatened to harm his family and warned that he would prevent his son from operating social media accounts, including any new accounts he created.
According to the complaint, Samuel allegedly told Harish, "Will you see your parents in Puducherry? I'll hang them."
The father further alleged that Samuel threatened his son with legal action over alleged income tax non-compliance, warning that he could face imprisonment or be forced to pay money.
Samuel, however, has denied cyberbullying Harish.
The dispute between Harish and Samuel intensified on October 18, when Samuel published videos and posts accusing Harish of misleading the public about his credentials to provide financial advice. The complaint alleged that these videos were humiliating Harish and causing him severe mental anguish.
Samuel had questioned whether Harish possessed a Registered Investment Adviser (RIA) licence from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). He also alleged that Harish had misrepresented his registration with the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI).
Following the posts, Harish's social media accounts were allegedly mass-reported and disabled. His established Instagram account was suspended by Meta, after which he began uploading videos through a new account, which was also taken down.
Harish's father alleged that Samuel had threatened to ensure that all his son's social media accounts were blocked, including any accounts he created in the future.
The suspension of the accounts added to the dispute over Harish's online reputation and his ability to continue the work through which he had built a following of more than a million people.
In a video reportedly recorded before his death, Harish spoke about the impact of the dispute on his work and reputation. He alleged that he had faced mental harassment and threats, including warnings that he could be jailed over alleged income tax non-compliance or would have to pay money.
"My hard work of the last five years was stolen," Harish said in the video.
He also alleged that the person threatening him claimed to know the Puducherry Chief Minister.
"It's not okay to defame someone," Harish said, urging people to release the video. "No matter how big the problem is, release the video."
Samuel denied cyberbullying Harish, saying his criticism concerned Harish's qualifications and authority to provide financial advice.
"I am deeply saddened, heavily grieving, shocked and frozen at what has happened and I mourn the loss of life," Samuel wrote.
He reiterated his allegations that Harish did not hold a SEBI-issued Registered Investment Adviser licence and had misrepresented his registration with AMFI. Samuel also claimed that Harish had obtained his AMFI Registration Number (ARN) only recently.
The tech CEO also maintained that he had not intended or expected the dispute to result in Harish's death. He argued that questioning purported regulatory violations or the authenticity of a licence did not amount to inciting suicide.
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