Delhi: Balvinder Singh Sahni, a prominent Indian businessman known as Abu Sabah in Dubai’s elite circles, is facing jail time and deportation from the UAE after being convicted of financial crimes, including money laundering.
The 53-year-old billionaire, founder and chairman of the Raj Sahni Group (RSG) property development firm, received a five-year prison sentence and a Dh500,000 (Rs 114,897,500) fine. A Dubai court also ordered the confiscation of Dh150 million (Rs 3,446 million) in assets linked to the illicit activities before his deportation.
Sahni’s RSG operates in the UAE, the US, India, and other countries. His Dubai property portfolio includes Qasr Sabah residential buildings in Dubai Sports City, the 24-storey Burj Sabah apartment complex in Jumeirah Village Circle, commercial properties in Bay Square and Business Bay, and the five-star Sabah Dubai hotel.
Known for his extravagant lifestyle, Sahni is a luxury car collector who famously purchased the “D5” number plate for Dh33 million (approximately 9 million dollars at the time) for one of his Rolls-Royces. Often seen sporting a royal blue kandura, baseball cap, and matching trainers, Sahni cultivated a significant social media presence, boasting 3.3 million followers on Instagram.
The case against Sahni and 33 other defendants, including his son, originated at the Bur Dubai Police Station in 2024 and was subsequently transferred to the Public Prosecution. Investigations uncovered a sophisticated money laundering network involving shell companies, forged invoices, and suspicious financial transactions, both within the UAE and internationally.
Dubai’s Fourth Criminal Court delivered its verdict last Friday, convicting Sahni and others of laundering Dh150 million. While some defendants, tried in absentia, received lesser penalties, such as one-year jail terms and Dh200,000 fines, three companies were fined Dh50 million each.zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
