Indian-origin CEO in Singapore spent ₹3.5 crore on girlfriend, then sued her - The Indian Express

Chander Agarwal, chief executive officer of an Indian logistics company, has lost a Singapore High Court case in which he sought to recover S$468,090 (around Rs 3.5 crore) that he had spent on his former girlfriend during their relationship, arguing that the money had been given to her as loans.

Agarwal, who is also the managing director of TCI Express Limited, sued his former girlfriend, Felicia Lee, after their relationship ended, claiming she owed him the money he had spent on her. The Singapore High Court dismissed his claim, finding that the disputed payments were gifts rather than loans.

CNN, in a report by Laura Sharman, said Agarwal had showered Lee with luxury items from Hermès, Dior and Prada, while also spending tens of thousands of dollars on first-class air tickets. He also claimed to have paid for her life insurance, a university programme and personal expenses charged to his American Express card.

Agarwal and Lee first met on a flight in 2019, according to the court judgment. Lee was a former flight attendant who later worked as an insurance agent and medical sales officer.

The two began a romantic relationship in September 2022 and remained together until around December 2023. Agarwal subsequently suspected Lee of infidelity, and the relationship ended. He filed the lawsuit in March 2024.

The relationship had already involved substantial spending even before they formally began dating. The court said Agarwal had bought Lee a Singapore Airlines Suites Class ticket to New Delhi in August 2022 and took her on a European trip, paying for flights and accommodation and buying her expensive gifts from brands including Hermès, Celine, Dior and Prada.

The court also noted that Agarwal had told Lee in September 2022 that she should not be shy about using his money if they were together, and voluntarily offered her a budget for taxi, dining and beauty expenses.

Agarwal claimed that the spending during their relationship represented interest-free loans that Lee was required to repay.

His claim covered about S$206,000 in credit-card expenses, around S$129,000 spent on foreign trips, about S$20,000 for Lee’s annual life insurance premium and other expenses, including money spent on a university programme and a feng shui service, CNN reported.

One of the more unusual claims involved S$16,776 spent on feng shui services for Lee’s home.

According to the judgment, Agarwal argued that the amount must have been a loan because he was Indian and did not believe in feng shui. Lee disputed that she had asked to borrow the money. The court found that the WhatsApp messages showed Agarwal himself had raised the subject and offered to pay for the feng shui work.

CNN reported that the feng shui master was engaged to “spiritually harmonise” Lee’s flat.

The central problem for Agarwal was evidence. The judge found that he could not establish that Lee had requested the disputed sums as loans or agreed to repay them. There was also no convincing written evidence recording such arrangements, despite the couple having exchanged numerous WhatsApp messages.

The judge said the evidence showed that Agarwal, “smitten” with Lee, had “showered her with expensive gifts” during their relationship.

He also noted that Lee had sometimes shown what the judgment described as “spontaneous reluctance to accept” the expensive gifts.

The judge questioned why Lee, whom he described as having a relatively modest salary compared with Agarwal, would repeatedly borrow large amounts of money to buy luxury goods.

He said it was “incredible” that, despite the couple having been together for more than a year and exchanging so many WhatsApp messages, Agarwal could not point to written evidence supporting his claim that the payments were loans.

Agarwal also produced a handwritten agreement that he said carried signatures supporting his claim. Lee denied signing the document.

The judge ultimately found it unsafe to conclude that she had signed it and gave the document little assistance to Agarwal’s case.

The court also considered a later note signed by Agarwal in which he said he would not ask Lee to return items he had given her out of his “goodwill and generosity”.

The judge was particularly critical of Agarwal’s position that expenses he had willingly paid before the relationship were gifts, but that similar spending after they began dating should suddenly be treated as loans.

The judgment described his evidence during the trial as “illogical and often evasive” and said some of his positions were contrary to common sense and unsustainable.

The court also found that Agarwal was a man of “ample means” with expensive tastes, while Lee was not in the same financial league.

The judge said Agarwal’s attitude towards the money appeared to change after the relationship ended. He had willingly spent heavily on Lee during their time together, but later sought to recover the money, arguing that it had been given to her as loans.

The judge said Agarwal, who had been “smitten” with Lee and had “showered her with expensive gifts”, appeared to have become embittered after their breakup and was determined to get the money back.

The court dismissed his claim, meaning Agarwal cannot recover the S$468,090 he had sought from his former girlfriend.

In a conclusion to the judgment, as reported by CNN, Senior Judge Lee Seiu Kin quoted English playwright William Congreve, “Heav’n has no rage, like love to hatred turn’d, nor hell a fury like a woman scorn’d.”

The judge then added, “This case shows that such emotion is not the sole province of one gender.”

The Express Global Desk at indianexpress.com which delivers authoritative, verified, and context-driven coverage of key international developments shaping global politics, policy, and migration trends. The desk focuses on stories with direct relevance for Indian and global audiences, combining breaking news with in-depth explainers and analysis. A major focus area of the desk is US immigration and visa policy, including developments related to student visas, work permits, permanent residency pathways, executive actions, and court rulings. The Global Desk also closely tracks Canada’s immigration, visa, and study policies, covering changes to study permits, post-study work options, permanent residence programmes, and regulatory updates affecting migrants and international students. All reporting from the Global Desk adheres to The Indian Express’ editorial standards, relying on official data, government notifications, court documents, and on-record sources. The desk prioritises clarity, accuracy, and accountability, ensuring readers can navigate complex global systems with confidence. Core Team The Express Global Desk is led by a team of experienced journalists and editors with deep expertise in international affairs and migration policy: Aniruddha Dhar – Senior Assistant Editor with extensive experience in global affairs, international politics, and editorial leadership. Nischai Vats – Deputy Copy Editor specialising in US politics, US visa and immigration policy, and policy-driven international coverage. Mashkoora Khan – Sub-editor focusing on global developments, with a strong emphasis on Canada visa, immigration, and study-related policy coverage. ... Read More