In brief
A High Court judge ruled that Chander Agarwal could not recover S$468,000 that he had spent on his former partner, saying the money was gifts, not loans. The court found no evidence the ex-girlfriend had accepted any of the cash as debt. Agarwal, a logistics company executive, had supplied large sums for trips, insurance, and other expenses while in a relationship with former flight attendant Felicia Lee. Despite his claim that the amounts were loans requested by Lee, the judge noted a lack of documentary proof and described the expenditures as lavish gifts. This outcome highlights the difficulty of proving debt in the absence of formal agreements and mirrors a recent case in which a Singaporean man faced dismissal of his multi-million dollar lawsuit against a woman who rejected his advances.
High Court rules against former partner’s $369,000 claim
Chander Agarwal, a capital executive, filed a suit in Singapore’s High Court seeking to retrieve S$468,000 he had spent on gifts for Felicia Lee, his former partner.
The court found that the money was provided as gifts rather than as loans and therefore could not be considered recoverable debt. The judge noted that there was no evidence showing Lee ever acknowledged any of the funds as loans.
Agarwal claims the money was used for credit card charges of S$206,000, overseas travel of S$129,000, feng shui consultations of S$17,000 and life insurance premiums of S$20,000, all supposedly requested by Lee.
Lee maintains the payments were gifts made out of affection, not financial obligations. The judge highlighted her low ability to afford such expenditures, contrasting it with Agarwal’s affluent lifestyle.
The judge concluded the evidence showed “showering lavish gifts” before the relationship ended, and that Agarwal’s attempts to extract money after a breakup were unfounded.
A similar case earlier in 2023 saw a Singaporean man’s multi‑million dollar suit against a woman dismissed by courts, underscoring a trend of de‑failing lawsuits claiming damages for rejected affection.
