Indian-Origin CEO Spent Rs 3.5 Crore On Girlfriend, Sued Her After Break-Up And Lost Case

An Indian-origin CEO who spent nearly $370,000 on his girlfriend during their relationship has lost a legal battle to recover the money after they broke up. According to CNN, Chander Agarwal, CEO and managing director of Indian logistics company TCI Express Limited, sued his former girlfriend, Felicia Lee, in Singapore's High Court, claiming she owed him nearly $370,000 (Rs 3.5 Crore). He argued that the money he had spent on her was given as interest-free loans and should have been repaid.

The court, however, found that the money was largely given as gifts and dismissed Agarwal's claim.

Luxury gifts and expensive trips

Agarwal and Lee first met on a flight in 2019. They later became romantically involved in September 2022 and broke up in December 2023 after Agarwal suspected Lee of being unfaithful, CNN reported.

During their relationship, Agarwal spent large sums on Lee. The expenses included luxury items from brands such as Hermes, Dior and Prada, first-class flights, overseas trips, life insurance premiums, personal expenses on his credit cards and a Stanford-NUS executive programme.

He also spent around S$17,000 on a feng shui master for Lee's flat. Agarwal argued that this payment must have been a loan because, as an Indian, he did not believe in feng shui. The judge rejected the argument, noting that Agarwal himself had arranged the service.

Court rejects loan claim

Agarwal claimed that Lee had requested the money as loans and had agreed to repay him. He also relied on a handwritten agreement that he said contained Lee's initials. Lee denied signing the document.

The judge found that Agarwal could not provide sufficient evidence showing that Lee had requested the money as loans or agreed to repay him. The court also noted that there were no WhatsApp messages supporting his claim, despite the couple exchanging many messages during their relationship.

CNN reported that the judge found the evidence showed Agarwal had repeatedly offered to pay for Lee's expenses and had showered her with expensive gifts.

The court dismissed his claims and ordered him to pay Lee's legal costs.

Judge says CEO became 'embittered'

In his judgment, Senior Judge Lee Seiu Kin said Agarwal had been "smitten" with Lee and had willingly showered her with expensive gifts.

The judge said that after the relationship ended on a sour note, Agarwal "became embittered and was determined to extract a price from her".

The court concluded that the disputed payments were gifts rather than loans and that Lee was not liable to repay the money.