Slumdog Millionaire child star Rubina Ali has caught herself in the middle of sensational newspaper admits that her dad offered her up for $300, 000 (R2.6 million).

The girls father, Rafiq Qureshi, allegedly put his daughter on the market and blamed her movie star status for his decision to sell her.

According to media reports, Qureshi was visited at his home in Mumbai, India by an undercover reporter for the U.K. newspaper the News Of The World, who claimed to be acting on behalf of a wealthy Arab sheik who wanted to adopt the child.

Qureshi allegedly told the journalist, “We are considering Rubina’s own future. Obviously if you wanted to adopt we are willing to discuss this matter, but her parents would also expect some proper compensation in return. We are talking of around £50,000 for this to happen. We can discuss everything about this deal when we meet. There’s a lot of interest in Rubina, she’s become very famous.”

But, in a further call, he allegedly told the reporter he planned to sell his daughter to the highest bidder and he was expecting $300 000 from the sale.

A source tells the newspaper, “Rubina’s family are furious that despite the film doing so well and their pretty daughter becoming so famous, they are still living in such rough conditions… Dad Rafiq is streetwise and knows that soon his daughter’s success will be forgotten and her moment of fame will be over. He has a family to feed 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 whole family to get out of the slums.”

Officials at children’s charities have expressed their concern over the case, and have pledged to help Ali.

Save The Children’s Adrian Lovett says, “Save the Children pays tribute to the News of the World for highlighting this awful reality. We will do all we can to help Rubina.”

What an awful story! Those of us at heat Towers with children, can not even comprehend the idea of wanting to sell our offspring!

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