'Slumdog' Child for Sale?

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The father of "Slumdog Millionaire" star Rubina Ali has reportedly tried to sell his 9-year-old daughter for around $300,000. Ali played the part of the young Latika, the love interest of protagonist Jamal.

Mumbai police brought Rubinia and her father, Rafiq Qureshi, in for questioning Sunday night. Qureshi's plot was exposed after he tried to sell his daughter to an undercover reporter from News of the World.

"On Sunday, Rubina's mother Khurshid complained to us that her ex-husband was trying to sell her daughter, saying she saw some reports on television to that effect," Deputy Commissioner of Police Nisar Tamboli told Reuters.

"We've got nothing out of [Slumdog Millionaire]," Qureshi told the News of the World reporter. "They gave some money at the start, but they gave nothing afterwards. They gave us around 150,000 rupees [$3,000]. I have to consider what's best for me, my family and Rubina's future." Rubina's father is a day laborer who earns around $5 a day. He insists he wasn't trying to sell his daughter.

"Slumdog" producer Christian Colson told Britain's Daily Mail the filmmakers are doing their best to find out the truth behind this story. "We have friends and colleagues in Bombay who are trying to speak with Mr. Qureshi to get to the bottom of what happened," he said. "Her family is under a lot of pressure."

Just days ago, director Danny Boyle and others donated $750,000 to a Mumbai children's charity and an additional $750,000 for the education and housing of both Ali and Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail, who played the young Salim. Colson said, "Danny and I are committed to Rubina and Azharuddin for the long term." He continued, "We are trying to keep a roof over their heads, and keep them in school until they are 18. The problem is there are a lot of parties who are telling the parents different things."

Authorities in India also promised to provide homes in Mumbai for the "Slumdog" kids after the film's success at this year's Oscars. Child trafficking is an enormous problem in India, where an estimated 450 million people live in dire poverty.

comments

and the father of the year goes to?

Anonymous
April 21, 2009

that a mean Father Saling a child for money and that all he thinks she’s worth i would ask for more what a mean father if anyone buys her hope she comes to the States and has a better life than were she is from she would like it here better anyway

Danielle
April 20, 2009

broke Oscar winners? Was the girl not paid for her acting gig?

stalker
April 20, 2009

What kind of father tries to sell his child?! I don’t care how poor you are, YOU DO NOT SELL YOUR CHILD!! IF the family is in such desperate need why not put the child up for adoption. That way, there’s less chance of the child ending up in the hands of a pedophile, which unfortunately happens all too often with selfish, greedy parents who put their need for money ahead of the welfare of their child! AND YES I WILL JUDGE!! Seems fools don’t know the difference between being judgemental and exercising GOOD JUDGEMENT!!!

Outraged!
April 20, 2009

I strongly believe that no matter what hard times you are going through selling your child should not be an option.

Bananaboat
April 20, 2009
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