The Singapore High Court has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Chander Agarwal, CEO and Managing Director of logistics company TCI Express, seeking to recover nearly Rs 3.5 crore that he claimed to have spent on his former girlfriend, Felicia Lee, holding that the money was largely given as gifts and there was no evidence that Lee had agreed to repay it.
Agarwal had claimed around SGD 468,090, arguing that the money was provided to Lee as interest-free loans rather than gifts. Lee disputed the claim, maintaining that the expenditure came from Agarwal out of love and affection during their relationship and was never intended to be repaid.
The two met on a flight in 2019 and subsequently connected through social media. They began meeting regularly, with their relationship becoming romantic in September 2022. By then, Agarwal had already been spending substantial amounts on Lee.
The expenditure included luxury shopping, first-class and suite-class travel, expensive meals and other experiences. Among the items mentioned before the Court were a Louis Vuitton handbag, Prada vouchers and an Apple Hermès watch. Agarwal also funded a trip to Europe covering Barcelona, Lisbon and London, including accommodation and shopping expenses.
The relationship ended in December 2023 after Agarwal suspected Lee of being unfaithful. He subsequently filed the lawsuit in March 2024, seeking recovery of the money he said constituted loans.
Agarwal argued that the character of his spending changed after the relationship became romantic. During cross-examination, he reportedly said that “everything became a loan, everything was transactional” once they started dating. He also contended that Lee’s acceptance of his offers to pay for various expenses effectively created an obligation to repay him.
The High Court rejected the argument.
In its September 9 judgment, the Court held that most of the disputed payments were gifts and found insufficient evidence of any agreement or understanding that Lee would repay the money.
Senior Judge Lee Seiu Kin observed that Agarwal had “showered her with expensive gifts” during the relationship, a pattern inconsistent with his claim that the payments were enforceable loans.
The Court also rejected the proposition that simply accepting an offer to pay for something automatically creates a debt.
The judge observed that Agarwal appeared to have become determined to recover money from Lee after the relationship ended.
The Court ultimately dismissed Agarwal’s claim in its entirety and ordered him to pay Lee’s legal costs.
The judgment underscores that expenditure made during a personal relationship does not automatically become recoverable merely because the relationship subsequently breaks down. In the absence of evidence establishing an agreement or intention to repay, gifts made during a relationship cannot simply be converted into loans after the relationship ends.
The post Singapore High Court rejects TCI Express CEO’s Rs 3.5 Crore claim against former girlfriend, holds gifts cannot be treated as loans appeared first on India Legal.