From Netflix glamour to global scrutiny: Inside the cases against Satish Sanpal

Satish Sanpal, chairman of ANAX Holding and a cast member on Netflix’s Desi Bling, is under increased scrutiny from authorities. The UAE Financial Intelligence Unit has temporarily frozen his accounts, as well as those of his wife Tabinda and related companies, as part of a money-laundering investigation. In India, officials in Madhya Pradesh have filed nine FIRs against him and issued a Look Out Circular in 2022.

Sanpal comes from Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, and left school at a young age. He calls himself a self-made billionaire. He started ANAX Holding in 2018, with interests in real estate, hospitality, and financial services, and has reported valuations between $1.5 billion and $3 billion. On Desi Bling, Sanpal and Tabinda, a British-Pakistani entrepreneur linked to ANAX Capital, showed their home in the Burj Khalifa, luxury cars, gold, and other assets. Sanpal has said he began his career in Dubai’s gold sector before moving into property and other businesses.

Police records show that Sanpal faces at least nine criminal cases in Jabalpur, at stations such as Omti, Madan Mahal, Lordganj, and Kotwali. One of the 2022 FIRs, FIR 170/2022 (Madan Mahal), includes charges under the Public Gambling (MP) Act and related IPC sections for abetment and conspiracy linked to an IPL betting operation. Police reports say that arrested associates named Sanpal as the leader, and cash was seized.

FIR 356/2022 (Lordganj) charges Sanpal with cheating for allegedly using Aadhaar and PAN cards without permission to open shell company accounts for illegal transactions.

FIR 338/2022 (Madan Mahal) lists charges of cheating, forgery, and conspiracy related to cheque theft and a larger criminal operation. Authorities say an illegal online cricket and IPL betting network was run from Dubai, using digital platforms and local agents. Investigators report that funds moved through shell companies and hawala channels, with transactions estimated at over Rs 1,000 crore. Raids, including one at RK Tower in Jabalpur, led to the seizure of about Rs 21.55 lakh in cash, company seals, cheque books, and betting records. Several associates were arrested, but Sanpal was not detained.

In August 2022, Jabalpur Superintendent of Police Siddharth Bahuguna asked the Bureau of Immigration to issue an LOC against Sanpal, calling him a flight risk who runs betting exchanges from outside India. The LOC is still active and has come up in Delhi High Court proceedings.

Sanpal’s passport records show he left Mumbai for the last time in March 2020 and later received a self-sponsored UAE Golden Visa in 2021. Court records list him as “farar” (absconding) in some cases, but he has secured bail in eight of the nine cases, and the ninth is bailable. He has not been convicted or declared a proclaimed offender. Sanpal denies the allegations and has challenged media reports.

In 2026, the Delhi High Court stopped some publications from calling him a “fraudster” or “Satta King” while investigations continue. Institutions and virtual asset service providers are to freeze the funds, accounts, investments, digital wallets, and safe deposit boxes of Sanpal, Tabinda, ANAX Capital Asset Management Company, ANAX Capital Financial Markets LLC, ANAX Holding FZCO, and SSB Bazaar General Trading LLC. The freeze will last for 30 days at first and could be extended. Institutions must check if the funds are legitimate. No criminal charges have been announced in the UAE, and the reason for the investigation has not been made public.

Family members have also been named in Indian cases. Reports say Soniya Sanpal, described as either a wife or relative, has been declared a proclaimed offender in one case, with claims that large sums were moved through a shell company and a small reward was offered for information. Tabinda is also included in the UAE freeze order. Despite the FIRs, SIT investigation, and active LOC, Indian central agencies have not filed a separate money-laundering case against Sanpal. The ongoing cases, LOC, and asset freeze continue to keep Sanpal under legal scrutiny.