People.com: The father of Slumdog Millionaire child star Rubina Ali has denied a report in Britain's News of the World that he was prepared to place his 9-year-old daughter up for adoption for $300,000 as a "lie made up by foreign journalists playing games with me," he tells PEOPLE.

The newspaper reported that Rafiq Qureshi, 36, demanded money after it had sent reporters posing as wealthy people from Dubai who said they wished to adopt a child.

Qureshi's brother Moiuddin, who was present at the late-night meeting at a luxury Mumbai hotel, is reported to have insisted on an even higher figure for the transaction - the original offer was said to be about $75,000 - because of Rubina's fame. By Monday, Reuters was reporting that Mumbai police were investigating the entire incident.

News of the World, which published a photo of its reporters with Rubina and her father meeting together, reported the uncle as saying: "The child is special now. This is not an ordinary child. This is an Oscar child!"

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