Kaashvi vs 8Bit Thug: FIR Details Now Public
- Sagar Mankar
- Aug 18
- 3 min read
A First Information Report (FIR) against gaming entrepreneur Animesh Agarwal, widely known as 8Bit Thug, became publicly accessible on 17 August 2026, more than a month after content creator Kaashvi Hiranandani filed the complaint at Santacruz Police Station in Mumbai.
The dispute, centered on alleged financial misconduct related to brand deals, has kept the Indian gaming and content creation community talking for weeks.
Who Is Kaashvi (Kaash Plays)?
Kaashvi Hiranandani, who goes by Kaash Plays online, built her name in the Indian gaming space through Call of Duty Mobile and Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) content, later branching into lifestyle videos as well. She studied finance and worked as a finance consultant before switching to content creation full time during the pandemic years.
She was part of the 8Bit Creatives and S8UL Esports ecosystem for a stretch of her career. Her YouTube channel grew to over 1.7 million subscribers, and she picked up recognition, including Streamer of the Year honors. She moved on from the S8UL and 8Bit setup in mid-2025 and has since been associated with Revenant XSpark.
Who Is 8Bit Thug?
Animesh Agarwal, known as 8Bit Thug, comes from a commerce and finance background. He founded Team 8Bit, later co-founded S8UL Esports through a merger involving Team SouL (associated with Naman “Mortal” Mathur and others). He currently runs 8Bit Creatives as CEO and founder, an agency that has managed several major gaming talents and brand campaigns. He is considered one of the key figures behind the growth of India's mobile esports and creator economy.
What Led to the FIR?
On 16 July 2026, Kaashvi released a detailed YouTube video titled “How I Got Scammed by 8bit Thug,” laying out her side of the story. Kaashvi says she entered into an agreement with 8Bit Creatives running from April 2023 to April 2025, with a 70% share going to her and 30% retained by the agency on brand deal income. Over time, she claims she noticed gaps between what she was told a brand paid and what appeared to have actually been paid.
According to her statement, she raised the issue repeatedly, including through an email that copied her lawyer, but says she was eventually ignored.
The professional relationship ended around July 2025.
Animesh Agarwal responded publicly through his Instagram Stories, calling the allegations "false and misleading." He said he would not comment on the specific details while the matter is under legal process, stated that his organizations were built on "integrity and transparency," and asked people not to draw conclusions from a one sided narrative.
What Does the FIR Say?
The complaint, registered on July 15, 2026, under BNS Sections 3(5), 316(5) and 318(4), lists several specific instances where she alleges the actual brand payment was higher than what was disclosed to her. Some of the cited examples include:
A Nothing campaign where she says the actual amount received was 10 lakh rupees, though she was informed it was 7 lakh, resulting in a payment based on the lower figure.
A Ludo campaign where she alleges the real figure was 10 lakh rupees against a disclosed 6 lakh.
A Samsung deal where she claims 34 lakh rupees came in against a disclosed 25 lakh.
The FIR lists ₹4.36 crore spread over 35 transactions and about 80 invoices. Of this, Kaashvi claims that roughly ₹2 crore is tied to the alleged fraud.
She states in her complaint, "Thus this Animesh Agrawal, by breaching the agreement (contract) made with me, betrayed my trust and misappropriated the amount due to me from my work, defrauding me of approximately Rs. 2 crore."
As things stand, this remains an active investigation, and all claims made in the FIR are allegations rather than proven facts.
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