Man sues woman for ‘emotional trauma’ for refusing to be his girlfriend
A man who was romantically rejected by a woman because she saw him as a friend has sued her for causing “emotional trauma”, prompting the woman to file a countersuit.
The two Singapore residents, who knew each other since 2016, are seeking damages worth millions of pounds after filing lawsuits against each other.
K Kawshigan, a director at drone company D1 Racing, launched two lawsuits against Nora Tan Shu Mei, reported CNA News.
He alleged Ms Tan’s actions caused damage to his “stellar reputation”, gave him “trauma, depression” and had him lose at least five business partnerships.
Ms Tan filed a countersuit, seeking damages for money spent for ensuring her safety from him and expenses on counselling sessions.
The two met in 2016 and became friends. But things began to change around September 2020 when they “became misaligned about how they saw their relationship”, said Ms Tan.
The woman said she saw Mr Kawshigan as a friend but he considered her as his “closest friend”. Ms Tan had later asked him to reduce their interactions.
In his first lawsuit, Mr Kawshigan sought S$22,000 (£13,613) in damages for breaching an agreement to improve their relationship. But the lawsuit was thrown out of a magistrate’s court that called it an abuse of process.
“This court will not be an accessory to his calculated attempt to compel engagement from the defendant,” the court said.
Mr Kawshigan filed a second case at the Singapore High Court for S$3m (£1.8m) for alleged defamation and emotional trauma suffered by him.
A hearing on Mr Kawshigan’s case is scheduled for 9 February, according to a Singapore High Court listing.
Ms Tan, on the other hand, is seeking S$480 (£296) and S$1,000 (£618) in damages for installing security equipment such as a digital door viewer, a siren alarm sensor, and a smart video doorbell.
She is also seeking payment for expenses incurred for counselling and healing sessions she took at Mr Kawshigan’s request.
She alleged harassment, alarm, and distress from his actions that she claimed forced her to maintain communication with him.
She said she had to take the measures after Mr Kawshigan appeared in front of her house in July 2022 and refused to leave. He also tried to approach her neighbours and her workplace after she refused to talk to him, Ms Tan said.
