Slumdog child star's mother shocked over sale reports

Mumbai: Slumdog Millionaire child star Rubina Ali's mother Khushi is aghast by reports that her ex-husband was prepared to sell their daughter for £200,000 (Dh1.08 million), but said her elder daughter had informed her about the matter two weeks ago.

"Though my elder daughter Sanaa informed me of the matter almost two weeks ago, I did not believe he [Rafiq Quraishi] would actually agree to do this," a shocked Khushi said here yesterday.

Khushi said that Quraishi and his second wife Meena were always "crazy for money".

"Now that my daughter has achieved international fame, they want to capitalise on it at any cost," she said.

British news website News of the World had reported that Quraishi wanted to get rid of poverty and become a millionaire by selling his nine-year-old daughter after it conducted a sting operation.

Quraishi allegedly demanded £200,000 from News of the World's undercover reporters who posed as a wealthy family from the Gulf. He told them: "I have to consider what's best for me, my family and Rubina's future".

While Quraishi's phone was constantly switched off, his neighbour and friend Yakub Abdul Shaikh confirmed that the incident had occurred a few days ago, but nobody really took it seriously as Rubina's father said he had been "misunderstood" by the foreigners.

"Quraishi later told me that since the foreigners were speaking in Arabic, he misunderstood what the interpreter was saying," he said.

He claimed that Quraishi had told him he had no intentions of giving away his daughter in adoption for £200,000 to an Arab family as reported by the British media.

"Quraishi feels that the issue was blown out of proportion because of the miscommunication with the foreigners."

Rubina's mother also said that Quraishi should be made to account for the money the nine-year-old had earned from the multiple Oscar-winning film and added that the money be spent to admit the girl to a good hostel.

A daughter is not an object that one can sell. It is a shame that such things still exist in our society.The government should wake up and do something for the child.
Neeru
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: April 20, 2009, 16:53

why doesn't Branglina or Madonna adopt her? They could give her best education and show her the ropes of being a celebrity. It's unhealthy for her to be around money hungry people.
Wanda
Dubai,UAE
Posted: April 20, 2009, 16:34

in this case what one should do is to create a fund with Rubina's name to brought up the child in a better environment.
Abdul Mujeeb
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: April 20, 2009, 12:59

I think For many fathers in this part of the world, daughters don't mean anything. How sad it is. When it will change in this type of society?
Patricia
Dubia,UAE
Posted: April 20, 2009, 12:41