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Singapore court rejects CEO’s bid to recover ex-girlfriend’s gifts
An Indian-origin businessman asked a Singapore court to make his former girlfriend return a large amount of money.
He said the money was a loan, so she should repay it.
The money covered trips, gifts, home-related services and an education programme.
The judge found that most of the spending was given as gifts instead.
The couple had met in 2019 and started dating in 2022.
Their relationship ended in December 2023.
The businessman then brought the case to court in March 2024.
The judge said his claim that the spending automatically became loans was not reasonable.
An Indian-origin CEO lost his attempt to recover SGD 468,000, or more than ₹3.5 crore, from his former girlfriend.
Chander Agarwal claimed money spent on trips, luxury items, feng shui services and an executive programme was given as loans.
Senior Judge Lee Seiu Kin ruled that most of the money had been willingly given as gifts.
The couple met on a flight in 2019, began dating in September 2022 and ended their relationship in December 2023.
Agarwal filed the lawsuit in March 2024 after suspecting his former girlfriend of infidelity.
- Who
- Chander Agarwal, CEO of a Mumbai-listed company, sued his former girlfriend.
- What
- A Singapore court rejected Agarwal’s attempt to recover SGD 468,000 that he said was a loan.
- Where
- The case was heard in Singapore.
- When
- The relationship ended in December 2023, the lawsuit was filed in March 2024, and the written judgment was issued on September 9.
- Why
- Agarwal claimed that money he spent on his former girlfriend had to be repaid, while the judge found that most of it had been given as gifts.
Agarwal’s claim
Court’s finding
Nature of the payments
Agarwal’s claim
Agarwal argued that the money he spent after the relationship began was a loan that his former girlfriend had to repay.
Court’s finding
The judge found that most of the payments were gifts that Agarwal willingly gave her.
When spending became repayable
Agarwal’s claim
Agarwal said that once she accepted his offers to spend his money, the expenses automatically became loans.
Court’s finding
The judge said this position was contrary to common sense and unsustainable.
Reason for the lawsuit
Agarwal’s claim
Agarwal sought repayment after the relationship ended and said the sums were not simply gifts.
Court’s finding
The judge said Agarwal became embittered after the relationship ended on a sour note and was determined to extract a price from her.
Key facts
- Amount claimed
- SGD 468,000, described as more than ₹3.5 crore
- Claimant
- Chander Agarwal, CEO of a Mumbai-listed company
- Defendant
- Agarwal’s former girlfriend, identified in the report by the surname Lee
- Major expenses
- Overseas trips, luxury items, a feng shui master for her flat and a Stanford-NUS executive programme
- Relationship timeline
- The pair met in 2019, began dating in September 2022 and separated in December 2023
- Lawsuit filed
- March 2024
- Ruling
- Senior Judge Lee Seiu Kin ruled that most of the money was given as gifts
Quotes
Senior Judge Lee Seiu Kin
Singapore Senior Judge who presided over the dispute
“The evidence before me clearly shows that the claimant, smitten by the defendant, had showered her with expensive gifts during their relationship.”
CNBC TV 18
“Unfortunately, when their relationship ended on a sour note, the claimant became embittered and was determined to extract a price from her.”
CNBC TV 18
Chander Agarwal
Indian-origin CEO and claimant in the Singapore lawsuit
“Everything became a loan, everything was transactional”
CNBC TV 18
Sources
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