Who is Balvinder Singh Sahni, Indian-origin billionaire in Dubai, convicted for money laundering?

Balvinder Singh Sahni, the Dubai-based Indian businessman, will be jailed and deported from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for financial crimes, among which is money laundering, Gulf News reported.

Sahni, also known as Abu Sabah, got a five-year jail sentence. The billionaire has also been asked to pay Dh 500,000 (Rs 1,14,89,750) fine. Further, a Dubai court ordered Dh 150 million (Rs 344 crore) confiscated from him before his deportation.

Sahni has been a well-known name in Dubai's elite circles and his conviction comes for laundering money through a network of shell companies as well as forged invoices, the publication said.

He was reportedly convicted along with 33 others, including his son.

Who is Balvinder Singh Sahni?

Sahni, 53 years old, is the founder and chairman of the Raj Sahni Group (RSG) -- a property development firm. It operates in the US, India, UAE, and other countries. The company's Dubai portfolio includes the Qasr Sabah's residential buildings in Dubai Sports City, commercial property in Bay Square, a 24-storey Burj Sabah apartment complex in Jumeirah Village Circle, commercial property in Business Bay, and a five-star hotel called Sabah Dubai, among others, NDTV reported.

He also has a reputation for collecting luxury cars and made headlines in 2016 for buying car number plate D5 for around Rs 76 crore, at that time, for one of his Rolls-Royce vehicles.

He is reportedly often seen in a royal blue kandura, baseball cap, and matching trainers. He has around 3.3 million Instagram followers.

The case against Sahni was initially filed in 2024. It was later transferred to public prosecution. The ensuing probe found extensive financial data, and business links within the UAE and abroad, as per the publication.

Citing reports, the publication added that some of them were tried in absentia, and several also received lighter penalties.