An Indian-origin corporate executive who claimed to have spent around S$468,090 (approximately Rs 3.5 crore) on his former girlfriend during their relationship has lost a legal battle in Singapore after the High Court ruled that most of the disputed payments were gifts, not loans that had to be repaid. Chander Agarwal, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of TCI Express Limited, had sued his former girlfriend, Felicia Lee, in Singapore’s High Court, arguing that the money he spent on her during their relationship had been given as interest-free loans. Lee disputed the claim, maintaining that the payments were gifts, CNN reported.

Relationship ended after allegations of infidelity

Agarwal and Lee began dating in 2022, but their relationship ended in 2023 after Agarwal suspected Lee of being unfaithful. During their relationship, Agarwal made a series of substantial payments for Lee, which later became the subject of the legal dispute. The expenses included around S$206,000 in credit card charges, approximately S$129,000 on overseas trips, S$17,000 paid to a feng shui master for Lee’s flat and about S$30,000 towards a Stanford-NUS executive programme. Other disputed payments included life insurance premiums as well as expenses connected to Lee’s personal and business needs.

CEO claimed payments were interest-free loans

Agarwal argued that Lee had asked him for interest-free loans during their relationship and had agreed to repay the money. He also relied on a handwritten agreement in support of his case. Lee, however, denied that the money was provided as loans and maintained that Agarwal had voluntarily given her the money and paid for various expenses as gifts during their romantic relationship.

Court finds insufficient evidence of loans

The Singapore High Court ultimately dismissed Agarwal’s claim, finding that he had not produced sufficient evidence to establish that Lee had requested the disputed payments as loans or had agreed to repay them. The court concluded that most of the payments were gifts made during the relationship rather than recoverable loans. Senior Judge Lee Seiu Kin also examined the nature of the relationship and the circumstances surrounding the payments.

Judge says gifts were part of the relationship

According to the judgment, the evidence showed that Agarwal had expressed affection towards Lee and subsequently showered her with expensive gifts. The judge noted that the relationship later ended on a sour note. After the breakup, Agarwal’s attitude towards Lee changed significantly. The judge said Agarwal had “became embittered” following the end of the relationship and was determined to “extract a price from her”. The court’s decision means that Agarwal could not recover most of the S$468,090 he had claimed from his former girlfriend, with the disputed spending largely treated as gifts made during the course of their relationship.

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