Dubai, May 6- A Dubai court has sentenced Indian property tycoon Balvinder Singh Sahni, widely known as “Abu Sabah”, to five years in prison after convicting him of laundering 150 million dirhams ($41 million) through a network of shell companies and forged commercial transactions.
Dubai’s Fourth Criminal Court also imposed a fine of 500,000 dirhams ($136,000) on Sahni and ordered the confiscation of 150 million dirhams, deemed proceeds of the illicit activity. The court ruled that Sahni, a high-profile businessman in the Gulf city, will be deported upon completing his sentence.
Sahni, chairman of real estate firm RSG Group, is known for his extravagant lifestyle and philanthropic efforts. He gained international attention in 2016 after paying $9 million for a single-digit license plate for his Rolls-Royce.
The case, filed in 2024 at Bur Dubai Police Station, was transferred to the Public Prosecution in December that year. Prosecutors laid out evidence in court starting January 2025, detailing a sophisticated laundering scheme involving fake partnerships and financial irregularities that extended beyond UAE borders.
Sahni’s eldest son was among 32 individuals convicted alongside him. Several defendants were tried in absentia. Others received lighter sentences, including one-year prison terms and fines of up to 200,000 dirhams. Three corporate entities were each fined 50 million dirhams.
Authorities seized electronic equipment, financial records, and documents during the investigation, which prosecutors said revealed an effort to disguise illicit funds through complex financial layering.
