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Last Updated:May 06, 2025, 10:24 IST
Sahni aka Abu Salah is the chairman of the Raj Sahni Group (RSG) property development firm, who will be jailed for five years and deported from the UAE. He was fined Rs 1.14 crore.
Dubai-based businessman Balwinder Singh Sahni. (Instagram)
Dubai-based Indian businessman Balwinder Singh Sahni, also known as ‘Abu Salah’, was sentenced to five years, and given a fine of over Rs 1 crore, followed by deportation from the UAE over financial crimes, including charges of money laundering, according to several reports.
A Dubai court issued a fine of AED 500,000 (Rs 1.14 crore) and five years in jail, followed by deportation from the UAE for 20 people reportedly involved in an “organised criminal group". Sahni’s son will also face the same sentence. The court ordered the confiscation of 150 million AED (Rs 344 crore) in funds, along with some of Sahni’s belongings.
Another group of 10 people involved in the reported crime have been handed a fine of AED 200,000 (Rs 45.2 lakh), one year in jail and deportation from the UAE, according to Al Arabiya. Three companies linked to the group were fined around AED 5 million (Rs 11.47 crore_.
Who Is Balwinder Singh Sahni?
Sahni, 53, is the founder and chairman of the Raj Sahni Group (RSG) property development firm that operates in several countries. RSG’s Dubai property portfolio includes the 24-storey Burj Sabah apartment complex in Jumeirah Village Circle and the Qasr Sabah’s residential buildings in Dubai Sports City.
Sahni is a well-connected member of Dubai’s elite circle, often seen wearing his distinctive royal blue kandura, baseball cap and matching trainers. He is also a luxury car collector who often posted pictures of his luxury vehicles on social media.
He shot to the limelight in 2016 for purchasing a single-digit vehicle license plate ‘D5’ for nearly AED 33 million (Rs 75 crore) at a special auction, which was the most expensive number plate. He once said that his number plates were more expensive than his luxury cars.
Among his luxury cars was a limited-edition black Bugatti, which he once parked in the centre of his Palm Jumeirah mansion on the advice that something black would protect him from the “evil eye", according to a report by Khaleej Times.
What Is Sahni Accused Of?
Sahni and his son were convicted along with 31 others for operating a network that channelled millions through shell companies and suspicious financial transfers. A case was made against the billionaire following a report at the Bur Dubai Police Station last year.
The case was referred to the Public Prosecution on December 18, 2024, after an investigation found extensive financial data and business links in the UAE and abroad. This was followed by a court session on January 9, where a complex money laundering operation was unveiled. Some of the defendants in the case were tried in absentia. Assets under their control were seized.
Location :Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE)
First Published:News world Who Is Balwinder Singh Sahni, Indian Billionaire Jailed For Money Laundering In Dubai?
