Follow us on Telegram for the latest updates: https://t.me/mothershipsg

After a woman in Singapore was sued for S$3 million by a man for rejecting him, she is countersuing him for all the expenses she incurred and to protect herself from his harassment.

According to CNA, the woman, Nora Tan, installed a digital door viewer, an alarm sensor and a smart video doorbell to ensure her safety from the man, K Kawshigan.

Tan is seeking damages from Kawshigan of about S$480 for installing equipment meant for her safety and another S$1,000 for expenses incurred while engaging in counselling and "healing" sessions at his request, reported CNA.

Tan spent almost one and a half years in counselling sessions with him between November 2020 to April 2022.

She hoped to help him come to terms with her decision not to pursue a romantic relationship with him.

Tan also plans to seek damages for future expenses that will be incurred for her own future counselling sessions following this ordeal, CNA said.

Sued her for more than S$3 million for rejecting him

Kawshigan resorted to legal action when Tan refused to pursue a romantic relationship with him.

He launched two lawsuits against her.

In a High Court defamation lawsuit, he sought over S$3 million for the "emotional trauma" he suffered after realising she only viewed him as a friend, as well as the defamatory remarks, which damaged "his stellar reputation".

Kawshigan claimed that the S$3 million in damages he is seeking through the High Court lawsuit serves to compensate him for the indefinite loss of potential investments, rehabilitation and therapy programmes to overcome the sustained trauma and reductions in his earning capacity.

In a separate lawsuit in the Magistrate's Court, Kawshigan sought S$22,000 in damages, claiming that Tan breached a legally binding agreement, acting for himself as a self-represented party.

The Magistrate's Court suit was dismissed as Kawshigan's case was struck out for being an abuse of process.

According to the judgment published in January 2023, Kawshigan's claims against Tan come from a place of frustration with her as she was unwilling to accommodate his demands to deepen their "relationship".

The High Court lawsuit is scheduled to be heard in court in Feb. 9, 2023.

Tan countersues

Tan denied large parts of Kawishagan's claims, reported CNA.

According to documents seen by CNA, Tan and Kawshigan met as members of the Rotary Club at Bugis Junction in November 2016 and became friends.

However, from November 2016 to September 2020, the two argued and differed in opinions, which led to their friendship deteriorating.

Tan then requested they reduce their communication and meet-ups.

When Kawshigan tried to clarify their relationship, Tan said they were only friends while he regarded her as his "closest friend".

CNA reported that Kawshigan requested Tan to participate in mediation at the Singapore Mediation Centre in October 2020, but she did not respond.

In October 2020, Tan found out that Kawshigan had appeared outside her home, saying that he filed court documents but did not want to serve them to her.

In July 2022, Tan refused to speak to Kawshigan, so he filed the High Court suit.

He told Tan's colleagues via email that Tan had broken "some ground rules" and her avoidance "force[ed] him to escalate", CNA stated.

In July 2022, Tan received WhatsApp messages from a person claiming to be a journalist from Yahoo News, and that a law firm partner had given Yahoo News the details of a High Court case.

Tan's lawyers wrote that she will show at trial that neither Yahoo News nor its journalists had sent the WhatsApp message to Tan, and that none of the law firms purportedly representing Kawshigan in his correspondences with Tan were instructed by him at any given time, according to CNA.

Continued harassment from Kawshigan

According to Tan's lawyers from Edmond Pereira Law Corporation, Kawshigan's actions were meant to cause harassment, alarm and distress to force Tan to maintain contact with him.

Tan's lawyers said Tan's words, which Kawshigan claims were defamatory, were expressions of Tan's honest opinion regarding Kawshigan's behaviour, CNA reported.

In addition, Tan claimed that Kawshigan had appeared outside her home with another woman in July 2022, and refused to leave despite her asking him to.

He also supposedly placed documents at her doorstep and rattled the door.

After that, Kawshigan went to ask Tan's neighbours for her home telephone number and threatened to go to her work place if she refused to communicate with him, CNA wrote.

Tan said Kawshigan went looking for her at her workplace in July 2022, but she was not there.

Due to the harassment, Tan had to install a digital door viewer, a siren alarm sensor, and a smart video doorbell for her safety.

Mothership has reached out to Tan's lawyers but they requested for their client's privacy as the matter is ongoing.

Defamation lawsuit

According to CNA, Kawshigan filed the defamation claim against Tan due to alleged defamatory conduct against him from June 2019 to December 2020.

He claims she made false verbal allegations to him with third parties present who heard the conversations.

Apparently, Tan reportedly said she was feeling very harassed by Kawshigan's actions, CNA reported.

The actions included him standing in front of her doorstep and harassing her.

Another line that Kawshigan claims is defamatory is something Tan said on Jul. 8, 2022, which was apparently said over an amplified speaker.

Hence, other people in the vicinity heard what she said.

She allegedly said: "He is unnecessarily serving court documents to me personally and he has not tried other ways available to him."

Kawshigan also claimed he lost at least five business partnerships, CNA said.

He supposedly is now unable to engage in interpersonal conversations normally, and his ability to get contracts effectively and efficiently has been impaired.

As such, he attempts to claim damages from her for the alleged defamatory remarks and negligent conduct, as the remarks that suggested he harassed her caused him to suffer "damage to his stellar reputation" along with "trauma, depression and impacts" on his life.

The damages he is trying to claim to include S$1.2 million for "indefinite loss of potential investments", as he said his earning capacity as an "active high-capital trader by night and busy CEO by day" had been negatively affected.

According to the Magistrate's Court judgement, Kawshigan claimed that because of the defamatory remarks, he suffered a loss in earning capacity and business partners amounting to S$510,000, in addition to S$120,000 in general damages "[f]or costs incurred and to be incurred in rehabilitation and therapy programs to wholly overcome sustained trauma".

D1 Racing abruptly cancels the NYE party at Silso Beach

In a separate case, Kawshigan is the director of D1 Racing, which allegedly cancelled the Silso Beach New Year's Eve party on Dec. 31, 2022, leaving those who bought tickets seeking refunds and making police reports.

Some of the ticket buyers have also claimed that they intend to bring the matter to the Small Claims Tribunal.

Related stories

Top photo from Unsplash