A man is suing a woman in Singapore for £1.9 million over “emotional trauma” after she refused to be his girlfriend after four years of friendship.
The man, identified as K Kawshigan, a director at drone company D1 Racing, filed two lawsuits against Nora Tan Shu Mei after she rejected him, alleging her actions damaged his “stellar reputation” and caused him to lose at least five business partnerships.
However, Ms. Tan filed a counter-suit in which she is seeking money that she says she spent on securing her home from Mr. Kawshigan and on counselling sessions.
According to her, she had to install a digital door viewer, an alarm sensor, and a smart video doorbell to protect herself from the unwanted suitor, and she is seeking about £900 in total to cover the costs of the equipment and future counselling.
A magistrate’s court judgement published on January 28 shows that Mr. Kawshigan filed two lawsuits against Ms. Tan after their friendship broke down when she told him that she only saw him as a friend, Channel News Asia reports.
He initially sued Ms. Tan for 22,000 Singapore dollars, claiming she “breached an agreement” to improve their relationship, but this was thrown out by the magistrates’ court, which called it an abuse of process.
The court said it would not be an accessory to Mr. Kawshigan’s “calculated attempt to compel engagement” from Ms. Tan, CNA reported.
Now, Mr. Kawshigan is suing Ms. Tan for 3 million Singapore dollars (£1.9 million) in the Singapore High Court for a variety of damages he claims she caused him, including the trauma he says he suffered when she told him she only saw him as a friend.
A Singapore High Court listing says the case is scheduled for February 9.
Kawshigan and Ms. Tan met in 2016 and became friends. It’s gathered that they were both members of the Rotary Club of Bugis Junction.
According to Ms. Tan, their friendship began to fall apart when they “became misaligned about how they saw their relationship.”
Ms. Tan said she told Mr. Kawshigan that she saw him only as a friend but that he considered her his “closest friend.” Ms. Tan later said she wished to reduce their social interactions.
Meanwhile, Kawshigan accused Ms. Tan of defamatory conduct against him in June 2019 and December 2020.
He claimed she made false allegations, and other parties present overheard their conversations. He claims Ms. Tan told him she was feeling harassed by his actions, which included standing in her way on a doorstep.
Mr. Kawshigan also claims she defamed him by stating loudly, “He is unnecessarily serving court documents to me personally, and he has not tried other ways available to him.”
He said she was speaking close to a microphone in July 2022 and was therefore heard by other nearby people.
He claims Ms. Tan’s actions caused damage to his “stellar reputation” and resulted in “trauma” and “depression” over the past two years.
He also claims he lost five business partnerships as a result of the ongoing disagreements and that he now struggles to win new clients.
