Father tried to sell 'Slumdog Millionaire' girl

[Liberal_in_LA]

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/entertainment/803377/Father-tried-to-sell-Slumdog-Millionaire-girl

Father tried to sell 'Slumdog Millionaire' girl
15:50 AEST Sun Apr 19 2009

The father of "Slumdog Millionaire" child actress Rubina Ali Qureshi tried to sell his nine-year-old daughter for adoption in a bid to escape the Mumbai slums, according to a UK newspaper.

Rafiq Qureshi wanted 20 million rupees ($A558,000) for the girl, who played the young Latika in the British hit film set in India, News of the World reports.

Slumdog Millionaire, a rags-to-riches tale of children from the slums of Mumbai, won eight Oscars in February, including the best picture Academy Award.

News of the World said its reporters posed as a wealthy family from Dubai, employing its regular "fake sheikh" sting tactic.

The weekly tabloid said a Mumbai informant told them that Qureshi was touting for the highest offer, having already been approached by a Middle Eastern family.

[babylonsister]

1. He claims he didn't...

http://www.ptinews.com/pti%5Cptisite.nsf/0/886B950460C7592F6525759D0045892B?OpenDocument

But Rubina's father Rafiq Qureshi has denied their claim saying it was a conspiracy to "malign" him.

"They said that Sheikh's wife wanted to adopt Rubina but I said, 'I can't give away my child'. They called me again the next day and talked in English. I could not understand but said yes to whatever they said. I never knew it would create such a controversy," Rubina's father said about the meeting.

"I will never sell Rubina. All these allegations are false. It is a conspiracy to malign my reputation. The voice in the video is not mine," Rafiq claimed.

Rubina's stepmother Munni reiterated her husband's statement saying, "An Arab lady had approached us to adopt Rubina but her father told her that she could come and meet the child but we will not give her up." PTI

[Liberal_in_LA]

2. Thanks for the info

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

7. Thanks for providing the opposite side of the story.

[noamnety]

8. It's an odd opposite side

"An Arab lady had approached us to adopt Rubina but her father told her that she could come and meet the child but we will not give her up."

Cultures are different, but sheesh, if some stranger was trying to adopt my child, the last thing I'd do is invite them back to come meet her.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

9. They might have been flattered by the offer due to their pride in her. They might also

be very simple trusting people.

[noamnety]

10. Yep, all that is possible.

That's why I was trying to make allowances for cultural differences, as a possibility at least.

Still a hard thing for me to grasp.

[tkmorris]

12. That jumped out at me too

[VeraAgnes]

3. That's insane.

Maybe someone rich will buy her and essentially adopt her as their daughter; ultimately rescue her for some abusive animal.

[jwirr]

4. That is not unusual in countries with great poverty. If he was selling

her for adoption she was lucky - many are sold into sex slavery. The families do this to help the others in their family. It is a very sad state of affairs.

[pnwmom]

6. Many of those "adopted" are actually turned into house servants -- or worse. n/t

[Sultana]

5. That's fucked up

These SDM parents are trying to get rich of their kids thank God the child stars money will only be available when they turn 18.

The SDM young boy actor's dad beat him because he refused to talk to the media after coming back from a long flight following the Oscars.

poor kids :(

[Odin2005]

11. OMG, how many of these "adpoted" girls end up as sex slaves somehwhere?

:cry: