The father of 'Slumdog Millionaire' actress Rubina Ali Qureshi allegedlytried to sell her for 200,000 pounds for adoption, a sting operation by aBritish tabloid has revealed but he has refuted the claim.

The 'News of The World' today claimedthat Rafiq had tried to sell nine-year-old Rubina to their reporters, who wereposing as the agents of a wealthy Arab Sheikh keen on adopting the famous childduring a sting operation last week.

The newspaper has published the photographs of Rubina and her father alongwiththeir reporters and also posted a video of the sting operation titled"Oscar Girl For Sale" on their website.

But Rubina's father Rafiq Qureshi has denied their claim saying it was aconspiracy to "malign" him.

"They said that Sheikh's wife wanted to adopt Rubina but I said, 'I can'tgive away my child'. They called me again the next day and talked in English. Icould not understand but said yes to whatever they said. I never knew it wouldcreate such a controversy," Rubina's father said about the meeting.

"I will never sell Rubina. All these allegations are false. It is aconspiracy to malign my reputation. The voice in the video is not mine,"Rafiq claimed.

Rubina's stepmother Munni reiterated her husband's statement saying, "AnArab lady had approached us to adopt Rubina but her father told her that shecould come and meet the child but we will not give her up."