Baramulla village faces renewed ceasefire violations after Pahalgam terror attack
1:45
Balvinder Singh Sahni, aka Abu Sabah, who once dazzled Dubai with black Bugattis, gold-plated lifestyles, and a ₹80 crore number plate, is now convicted.
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India Today
06-05-2025
- India Today
Baramulla village faces renewed ceasefire violations after Pahalgam terror attack
1:45 Balvinder Singh Sahni, aka Abu Sabah, who once dazzled Dubai with black Bugattis, gold-plated lifestyles, and a ₹80 crore number plate, is now convicted.
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Business Standard
06-05-2025
- Business Standard
Who is the Indian-origin billionaire Balvinder Singh jailed in Dubai?
Dubai-based Indian businessman Balvinder Singh Sahni, also known as 'Abu Sabah', has been sentenced to five years in prison by Dubai's Fourth Criminal Court on charges of money laundering through a criminal network, according to a report by the Gulf News. According to the news report, Dubai's court also imposed a fine of AED 500,000 (approximately ₹1.14 crore) and ordered the confiscation of AED 150 million (about ₹344 crore) linked to the crime. After completing his prison term, Sahni will be deported from the UAE. Who is Balvinder Singh Sahni? Sahni is a well-known businessman among Dubai's business elites. He is the founder of a real estate and property management company, RSG Group. The company operates in the UAE, India, the US, and other countries. In 2016, Saini made headlines when he purchased the car number plate 'D5' for AED 33 million (about $9 million at the time). The deal was one of the most expensive car plates ever sold. Known for his fancy lifestyle, Sahni frequently appeared in the news for his luxury cars, expensive real estate investments, and charity events. Criminal network using shell companies Initially, the case began at Bur Dubai Police Station, and then later it was transferred to the Public Prosecution on December 18, 2024. Gulf News mentioned that the first court hearing in the case took place on January 9, 2025. The findings revealed that Sahni, along with 32 others, including his son, was involved in a large-scale money laundering operation in the country. According to court documents, the group ran a criminal network using shell companies, fake partnerships, and forged invoices to move money illegally. However, these activities were carried out not only in the UAE but also involved international financial transactions. The network used complex techniques to mislead the illegal origin of their funds. As part of the investigations, the authorities have seized the electronic devices, documents, mobile phones, and financial data. The court ruled that AED 150 million was money made through illegal means and ordered it to be confiscated. Multiple defendants According to the report, the case involved a total of 33 defendants. Some of them appeared in court, while others were tried in absentia. In addition to Sahni's five-year sentence, several other individuals were sentenced to one year in jail and fined AED 200,000 each. Three companies found guilty in the case were each fined AED 50 million and ordered to surrender any criminal assets they controlled.
Mint
06-05-2025
- Mint
Balvinder Singh Sahni jailed in Dubai: From $100mn house to ₹80cr Rolls Royce plate - Look at his lavish spends
Balvinder Singh Sahni, a Dubai-based Indian billionaire, was sentenced to 5 years in jail on money laundering charges. The court ordered the confiscation of 150 million AED ( ₹ 344 crore) from the businessman, in addition to 5,00,000 AED ( ₹ 1.14 crore), Gulf News reported. Balvinder Singh Sahni, popularly known as 'Abu Sabah', is the founder of Raj Sahni Group (RSG), a company operating in the UAE, the US, India, and other countries. He is also known for his lavish spending, including buying a single-digit car plate 'D5' for Dh33 million at a special auction for distinguished number plates, reportedly one of the most expensive in the Emirates. In 2016, Balvinder Singh Sahni gained significant attention for purchasing the Dubai license plate "D5" for AED 33 million (nearly ₹ 80 crore) and the "O9" plate for AED 24.5 million, referring to his belief in the lucky number 9. Sahni is a "businessman whose love for the number 9, the colour blue, luxury cars, and rare licence plates made headlines more often than his commercial ventures," Khaleej Times reported. 'I like collecting unique number plates and I am proud to have got this number. I like number nine and D5 adds up to nine, so I went for it,' Sahni said in a YouTube video on the "Mo Vlogs" channel. He lives in a luxurious and lavish $100 million mansion in Dubai. Sahni also bought a mobile number (058-8888888) for AED 4.5 million. In a 2022 interview, he reportedly said, 'I have both Dubai 5 and Abu Dhabi 5….I don't even know how many cars I have. My number plates alone are worth more than my vehicles.' His other lavish expenses include a collection of Rolls-Royce cars, a Mercedes-AMG G63, a mansion including customised Bentley furniture and a Bugatti Chiron display, the Mo Vlogs video showed.
