Chennai Police have arrested YouTuber Jason Samuel in connection with the death of finance influencer V Harish, after the influencer's father alleged cyberbullying, online threats and mental harassment.
The Kanathur police made the arrest after registering a case under the abetment-to-suicide provision, based on a complaint by Harish's father, J. Vinayagam.
Harish, 27, ran the popular Instagram and YouTube account “Finance With Harish”, which had more than 1.3 million followers. He died at a rented residence near Muttukadu, on the outskirts of Chennai, on Tuesday, October 20.
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His body was sent for a postmortem examination.
The Father's Complaint
In his complaint to the Kanathur police, Vinayagam alleged that Samuel had subjected his son to sustained online harassment, defamatory posts and videos, and threats, causing him severe mental distress.
He also asked the police to examine a video that Harish recorded before his death. In that video, Harish allegedly accused Samuel of defaming him, harassing him mentally and trying to extort money from him.
He also spoke of losing five years of work and of facing online harassment, threats and demands for money.
What Samuel Has Said
Samuel has denied cyberbullying Harish. He has said that he only questioned Harish's credentials and his authorisation to provide financial advice.
Samuel, who is known for exposing alleged fraud by content creators and is the CEO of the venture studio Zemuria Inc, had posted a video days before Harish's death.
In it, he alleged that Harish was not a SEBI-registered investment adviser and had recommended stocks and mutual funds without being authorised to do so.
ALSO READ: Finance Influencer Harish Suicide: Who Is Jason Samuel And Why Has He Drawn Attention?
Reactions
Harish's death has drawn condemnation from members of the content creator community, several of whom have alleged that cyberbullying drove him to take his life.
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