Balvinder Singh Sahni, an Indian businessman based in Dubai, has been sentenced to prison and deported from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) due to financial offenses, including money laundering. Known as Abu Sabah, he received a five-year prison term alongside a fine of DH500,000 (approximately Rs 1,14,89,750). Additionally, a Dubai court mandated the confiscation of $150 million (around Rs 3,446 million) from him prior to his deportation.
As reported by Gulf News, Sahni, a prominent figure in Dubai’s high society, was convicted of laundering Dh150 million through a series of shell companies and counterfeit invoices.
He was convicted alongside 33 other individuals, including his son, as noted by Khaleej Times.
Who is Balvinder Singh Sahni?
The 53-year-old entrepreneur is the founder and chairman of the Raj Sahni Group (RSG), a real estate development company with operations in the UAE, the United States, India, and other nations. Media sources indicate that his company’s portfolio in Dubai includes projects like QASR Sabah residences in Dubai Sports City, a 24-storey Burj Sabah apartment in Jumeirah Village Circle, a commercial property in Bay Square, a business bay, and a five-star hotel named Saba Dubai.
Sahni is quite well-known among Dubai’s elite, being a collector of luxury cars and often sharing images of expensive vehicles on social media. He gained attention in 2016 for purchasing a car number plate, D5, for DH3 million (around $9 million at that time) for one of his Rolls-Royce cars.
Recognizable by his signature royal blue kandura, baseball cap, and matching trainers, Sahni has around 3.3 million followers on Instagram.
Case Against Sahni
The legal action against Sahni and others began in 2024 at the Bur Dubai Police Station and was later escalated to the prosecutors. An investigation revealed extensive financial data and business connections within the UAE and abroad.
In a ruling delivered last Friday, Dubai’s fourth Criminal Court found Sahni guilty, along with other defendants, of orchestrating a complex money laundering operation utilizing dubious financial dealings with shell companies.
The court ordered Sahni to pay the DH500,000 fine and confiscated assets worth DH150 million, deemed proceeds from illegal activities.
Moreover, the court mandated deportation upon conclusion of the ruling. Reports indicate that some individuals were tried in absentia and received various mild penalties, including a year’s imprisonment and a fine of DH200,000, while three companies faced fines of DH50 million each.
