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.