Man loses case to claw back $369,000 he spent on lavish gifts for ex-girlfriend

A Singaporean man has lost a court battle to recover over $369,200 in lavish gifts he gave to his ex-girlfriend during their relationship, the Singapore High Court ruled. Chander Agarwal, a logistics company CEO, showered Felicia Lee, a former flight attendant, with expensive presents before their romantic connection began in 2019.

They were together from September 2022 until December 2023, when Agarwal accused her of having an affair. Agarwal sought to reclaim the money, arguing that Lee had requested interest-free loans from him totaling S$206,000 for credit card charges, S$129,000 for overseas trips, S$17,000 for a fengshui master for her apartment, and S$20,000 for her life insurance premiums.

However, the judge dismissed Agarwal's claim, stating that the evidence failed to prove Lee acknowledged the loans as such. The judge noted that Agarwal, who had ample means and expensive tastes, had consistently showered Lee with gifts, which Lee had initially accepted but later became reluctant to receive. The court emphasized that while emotive situations like this are not exclusive to one gender, Agarwal's case lacked sufficient evidence to support his claim.