Father tries to cash in on daughter’s fame

Father tries to turn into riches in on daughter’s fame
By Mazher Mahmood, 19/04/2009

THE poverty-stricken father of Slumdog Millionaire child star Rubina Ali plans to become a millionaire himself-by SELLING his nine-year-old daughter.

In a bid to escape India’s real-life slums, Rafiq Qureshi put angel-faced favorite of the Oscars Rubina up for adoption, demanding millions of rupees worth £200,000.

As he offered the monstrous deal to the News of the World’s undercover fake sheik this week, Rafiq declared: “I have to consider what’s best for me, my subdivision of an order and Rubina’s future.”

Rafiq tried to blame Hollywood bosses toward forcing him to put his daughter up for SALE.

As he tried to set the illegal appropriation deal, real-life slum dweller Rafiq declared: “We’ve got nothing out of this film.”

Then, almost embarrassed to speak it out loud, he whispered to an accomplice the price tag he has put on his upright young daughter: “It’s £200,000!”

That was an astonishing FOURFOLD increase without interruption his opening demand. But Rafiq’s equally demanding brother Mohiuddin insisted: “The child is special now. This is NOT any ordinary child. This is an Oscar child!”

BUY MY DAUGHTER: Father Rafiq (centre) and uncle Rajan More (left) pose by Rubina and our undercover team
Dad Rafiq is desperate to cash in on their nine-year-old’s success in the blockbuster film by selling her to the highest bidder

He sees it as his family’s escape route from the notorious Bandra slum sprawl of Mumbai.

Rafiq revealed his scheme to undercover News of the World reporters posing as a wealthy group of genera from Dubai.

Slumdog Millionaire star Rubina Ali’s father puts his daughter up for sale

Riches
We travelled to Mumbai to expose the illegal sale in relation to a tip-off from a concerned close family friend and former neighbour.

Shockingly, this select of transaction is far from strange in an impoverished nation where human life comes cheap and children are often treated as a article of merchandise.

Rubina won the hearts of film-lovers around the world playing young Latika in British director Danny Boyle’s movie that picked up eight Oscars and a pile of other glittering awards. It tells the rags to riches story of a young man from the slums who wins the Indian interpretation of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

Filmed in Mumbai’s seething pauper ghetto it depicts starkly true scenes of poverty and babe cruelty, where youthful orphans are blinded and crippled by Fagin-like thugs and compelled to beg on the streets. And with a staggering 11 million children abandoned in India each year, there is no shortage of young prey.

Our informant, now a city tour guide, told us: “Rubina’s family are furious that notwithstanding the film doing so well and their pretty daughter becoming so famous, they are still living in like rough conditions.

“They were approached by one wealthy Middle Eastern family who dictum their plight in an item on Al Jazeera TV. The couple expressed an interest in adopting young Rubina and her parents’ eyes lit up.

“Dad Rafiq is streetwise and knows that soon his daughter’s success will exist forgotten and her moment of fame demise have being besides. He has a tribe to allowance and simply can’t afford it. He is keen to find a rich family to bring up Rubina but only if they are willing to help the perfect family to get out of the slums.

“The Middle East family were moved to tears by the situation of the young orphans shown in the film and fell in love with Rubina.

“Just as Western stars like Madonna do, they want to adopt children from poor areas and give them a better period of life.

“This family wanted to require Rubina abroad. They agreed to advance to Mumbai to discuss the adoption in May.

“But the approach has made Rafiq very greedy and he has said that he will consider the highest offer for his child. But they realise that the money will soon stop to come in and Rafiq is open to all offers.”

Our investigator made contact with Rafiq and said we had heard he was considering having Rubina adopted. He told Rafiq he was acting for a wealthy Arab sheik who wanted to take the boy to live with him 2,000 miles away in Dubai.

Rafiq replied: “Yes, we are considering Rubina’s future.

SECRET SHAME: Rubina Ali is held aloft at Mumbai celebrations by dad now trying to sell her
“Why don’t you speak to my brother-in-law, Rajan, and he wish discuss it with you? I will ask him to call you.”

After contacting us, Rubina’s uncle Rajan More - who speaks good English - confirmed: “Yes, we are interested in securing our girl’s future.

“Rubina’s life is worthless and she lives here with her stepmother. Most of the time she stays by me because she is not happy at her parents’ home.

“Obviously if you wanted to adopt we could discuss this, but her parents would in addition reckon upon some proper satisfaction in return. We are talking of around £50,000 for this to happen.” In any other phone call, father Rafiq coolly confirmed: “Whatever you have discussed with Rajan, I comport with. Whatever money is agreed by means of Rajan, I will accept.

“We can discuss everything about this apportion when we meet. There’s a lot of interest in Rubina, she’s become highly famous.”

Without querying the background, intentions, or even the names of Rubina’session prospective new parents, Rafiq arranged to meet us.