Indian billionaire Balvinder Singh Sahni sentenced to 5 years in jail in Dubai for money laundering

Dubai-based Indian billionaire Balvinder Singh Sahni was sentenced to five years in jail last week on charges of money laundering. According to Gulf News, a Dubai court ordered the confiscation of 150 million AED ( ₹344 crore) from the businessman, who is widely known as ‘Abu Sabah’.

Sahni, a fixture in Dubai’s elite circles, has been convicted of laundering 150 million dirham through a network of shell companies and forged invoices. Dubai’s Fourth Criminal Court has imposed a fine of 500,000 AED on the Indian businessman and sentenced him to five years in prison.

The court has also ordered that Sahni be deported after the completion of his prison sentence. Sahni’s son was among the 32 other people convicted alongside him, reported Khaleej Times.

Balvinder Singh Sahni was known for his extravagant displays of wealth - the property developer once paid $9 million for a coveted license plate for one of his Rolls Royce cars.

The case against Abu Sabah

The case against Sahni, chairman of RSG Group, was initially filed at the Bur Dubai Police Station in 2024. It was transferred to the Public Prosecution on December 18 that year. The first court session took place on January 9, 2025, where prosecutors laid out evidence of a sophisticated laundering operation involving shell companies, fake commercial partnerships, and suspicious financial transactions spanning both UAE and international jurisdictions.

The case culminated in a May 2025 conviction, with the Dubai court ordering Sahni to pay a fine of AED 500,000 and to forfeit assets worth AED 150 million, believed to be proceeds of the illegal activity.

The court also ordered his deportation upon completing the sentence. His eldest son was among 32 others convicted, with some defendants tried in absentia. Several received lighter penalties, including one-year jail terms and fines of AED 200,000, while three companies were each fined AED 50 million.

Authorities seized electronic devices, documents, and financial records as part of the probe, which highlighted the use of forged invoices and partnerships to mask illicit transactions.