New Delhi:
When ‘Desi Bling’ premiered on Netflix, Satish and Tabinda Sanpal’s lavish lifestyle became an instant spectacle. Towering mansion at the Burj Khalifa, designer labels, Rolls Royces, a yacht and glittering jewels flooded social media, turning the Dubai-based couple into the face of unapologetic luxury. But the very opulence that captivated millions may also have drawn attention they would rather have avoided.
One moment, in particular, became emblematic of that excess. “I already own 40 kg of gold. Satish loves buying gold. Every Dhanteras, he gives me around 3 kg of gold,” Tabinda declared on camera – a striking glimpse into extraordinary wealth worn with complete ease.
But behind the glitter lay a far less glamorous story.
As the couple’s riches played out on screen, another trail existed off camera: nine criminal cases against Satish Sanpal in Madhya Pradesh and a Look Out Circular issued against the Dubai-based entrepreneur and ANAX Holding chairman in 2022 – details that stood in stark contrast to the image of unbridled success showcased to the world.
A Delhi High Court order dated February 2026 records that an LOC had been opened against Sanpal at the request of the Superintendent of Police, Jabalpur, on 5 August 2022. A subsequent order dated 6 May 2026, which granted Sanpal interim relief against 21 publishers, notes his counsel’s submission that he had secured bail in eight of the nine criminal cases. In the remaining case, the order records, Sanpal is accused of a bailable offence and was in the process of obtaining bail.
Sanpal’s Indian passport, issued in Dubai in 2018, lists Jabalpur as his place of birth and documents travel between India, the UAE, the UK and Singapore. Court records also mention that he last visited India in 2020. He has a 10-year Dubai visa officially known as the ‘Golden visa’ issued in 2021.
Assets Freeze, Indian Passport But Foreign Citizenship
On July 13, the UAE’s Financial Intelligence Unit ordered a temporary freeze on the assets of Satish Sanpal, his wife Tabinda, and companies linked to the couple. The order directed banks, financial institutions and virtual asset service providers (VASPs) across the UAE to freeze their financial accounts and digital wallets. “This has been ordered for 30 days as of now. FIU can seek for extension as well,” a source said.
“Pursuant to Paragraph (2) of Article (5) of Decretal Federal Law No. (10) of 2025 On Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism and Financing of Proliferation you are requested immediately to freeze any funds or accounts or deposits or investments and deny access to the safe deposit boxes, and stop any financial transfers or withdrawals and inform us of any credit facilities, belonging to the below mentioned names,” the notice accessed by NDTV mentions.
The notice also mentions Sanpal’s nationality as Vanuatu. Sources in the know of the matter confirmed that Sanpal has Vanuatu nationality as well as holds an Indian passport currently. Apart from the couple, business entities in the notice include ANAX Capital Asset Management Company, ANAX Capital Financial Markets LLC, ANAX Holding FZCO, and SSB Bazaar General Trading LLC.
The notice directs financial institutions to inform the account holder of the freezing order after it has been executed and requires them to submit documents establishing the legitimacy of the transactions and the lawful source of the funds. These documents must then be forwarded to the UAE Financial Intelligence Unit (UAEFIU) for further action.
NDTV has contacted the UAE’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), the country’s anti-money laundering agency, seeking details on this. The story will be updated once a response is received.
Asked about the UAE asset-freezing order, Satish Sanpal’s counsel, advocate Kaushal Jeet Kait, speaking exclusively to NDTV, said the matter would need to be verified since no investigative, enforcement or any other authority has published any information about the same.
On being asked about Sanpal’s Vanuatu nationality, Kait said, “No comments.”
From Netflix Glamour To Betting Allegations
In April this year, Satish Sanpal approached the First Additional Sessions Judge, Jabalpur, challenging a Magistrate’s order refusing to consider his bail application through video conferencing on the ground that his physical presence was necessary.
This case stems from an alleged IPL betting racket uncovered by Jabalpur Police in May 2022, in which police claim two accused arrested during a raid identified Sanpal as one of the persons who provided betting links. The court order contains the prosecution’s allegation that during the raid on this alleged IPL betting operation, two accused told police they had received “betting links from Satish Sanpal and Dilip Khatri” and were using the TEAM 777 software to run the betting network.
The court records that Sanpal’s arrest “could not be secured as he was outside India” when the chargesheet was filed against the other accused in April 2023, and the investigation against him continued separately.
While the sessions court observed that there is no legal bar on an accused appearing through video conferencing or seeking bail in a bailable offence without first being physically arrested, it held that the trial court retains the discretion to decide such applications, particularly while the investigation is still pending. As part of Sanpal’s arguments, his counsel submitted that he has not come to India since 2020 and therefore was not aware of the FIR registered in 2022.
The court records show that on 29 January 2026, Sanpal sought permission to appear through video conferencing and sought bail in this case, but the magistrate rejected his plea. The order from 16 April this year also records his counsel’s submission that he has been allowed to appear virtually in six other criminal cases before Jabalpur courts and has regularly complied with those proceedings. This same order mentions that the court examined another order sheet from 17 March 2026, which recorded that the Station House Officer (SHO), Kotwali filed an application along with certified copies of the case diary/orders, and stated that “the investigation of the case is ongoing”.
In July this year, a notice was issued by the Station House Officer (SHO), Lordganj Police Station, Jabalpur, to Satish Sanpal which informs him that he is required in connection a case registered at Lordganj Police Station under: Section 109 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) (corresponding to abetment-related provisions), Section 34 BNS (acts done with common intention), and Section 4(c) of the Public Gambling Act, relating to a gambling case.
While some of these FIRs that NDTV has accessed have against alleged betting/gambling operations, including during the 2022 IPL season, involving online betting platforms and offences under the Public Gambling Act, along with conspiracy/abetment provisions of the IPC, at least one is lodged under Section 420 IPC (cheating case) among other sections.
A February 2024 FIR registered at Civil Lines Police Station, Jabalpur, names Satish Sanpal among five accused in an alleged online betting racket booked under Section 4A of the Public Gambling Act and Section 109 of the IPC. According to the FIR, police received information about an alleged betting operation being conducted through the SAT SPORT and SKY EXCHANGE platforms. The FIR alleges that the accused were facilitating betting using these online platforms.
In June 2026, a Jabalpur-based complainant Saurabh Bawariya submitted a representation to the District Collector and Superintendent of Police seeking an Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe into Satish Sanpal, alleging that he had generated around Rs 1,000 crore through the SatSport betting platform and IPL betting operations and laundered the proceeds through shell companies. The complaint also sought action under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act (FEOA), claimed that Sanpal was living in Dubai to evade prosecution, and requested a ban on the SatSport website as well as Netflix’s ‘Desi Bling’, alleging that it glorified wealth purportedly derived from illegal activities. The complainant also sought police protection for himself and other witnesses.
Bawariya’s lawyer advocate Pranay Pathak said he has filed a Public Interest Litigation in MP High Court in the matter. “We have come to know that Satish Sanpal left Dubai on 17 July. His assets have been frozen by the UAE authorities following a money-laundering investigation.”
None of the court orders and the FIRs seen by NDTV link him to these allegations.
In the interim relief order against the 21 publications too, the Delhi HC noted – “the articles make definitive claims that the plaintiff has laundered Rs 1,000 crores through 13 bogus/shell companies using hawala channels, and connect him to the Mahadev online betting app scandal, allegations that find no mention in the referenced FIRs or any judicial determination”.
Sanpal’s Lawyers Respond
Sanpal doesn’t face any formal case by the Enforcement Directorate, officials confirmed. The businessman hasn’t been convicted in any of the cases lodged against him. NDTV has reached out to Sanpal for his comments.
Meanwhile, Satish Sanpal’s counsel, advocate Kaushal Jeet Kait, told NDTV, “The cases against my client were registered after 2022. He has not travelled to India since 2020. There is no material evidence against him in these cases. In one of the matters, the co-accused have already been acquitted.”
It is learnt that Sanpal’s legal team has also approached the Madhya Pradesh High Court seeking quashing of criminal cases against him.
One of his lawyers, Vipal Yadav, representing the businessman in Madhya Pradesh, said, “We have approached the court to quash the criminal proceedings against Satish Sanpal. Order is reserved in three of the matters and rest are pending. Most of these cases were lodged in 2022 and there is no material evidence against him. These cases were made out against him on the memorandum’s of the accused and most are bailable offences.”
On Instagram, Sanpal last posted five days ago. His second wife Tabinda put up a reel with their daughter, with the caption – “A tiny London chapter with Mommy”.
