Russian mom and 2 kids living illegally in Indian forest leaves cops confused

Highlights:

• Russian national Nina Kutina and her two daughters were found in a forest cave in Karnataka on 9 July.
• Police discovered them during a routine patrol near Ramteertha Hills, a tourist zone known for landslides and snakes.
• Kutina says they were happy in nature, but had no valid documents and are now in a Bengaluru detention centre.
• Authorities are working with the Russian embassy and the children’s Israeli father to arrange deportation.

Indian police are investigating the unusual case of a Russian woman, Nina Kutina, who was found living in a forest cave in southern Karnataka with her two young daughters. The trio was discovered on 9 July during a patrol in the Ramteertha Hills near Gokarna, a tourist zone bordering Goa. The area is prone to landslides and home to snakes and other wildlife.

Kutina, 40, who does not possess a valid visa, claimed that she had been living in the cave for about a week. However, authorities now believe she overstayed her business visa, which expired in 2017, and had been living in India off the grid for several years. She and her daughters, aged six and five, have been transferred to a detention centre for foreigners near Bengaluru and face deportation.

Kutina says the forest offered her children health and happiness despite wildlife threatsScreengrab ANI

Karnataka police uncover cave family during patrol

Superintendent of Police M Narayana confirmed that officers conducting safety patrols spotted bright clothes hanging near a cave and decided to investigate. Inside, they found Kutina and her daughters living with minimal possessions like plastic mats, saris, groceries, and packets of instant noodles. Despite the poor living conditions and presence of wildlife, the woman appeared content and initially resisted leaving.

“She told us snakes and animals are our friends, humans are dangerous,” Narayana told reporters. Police say it took time to convince her the area was unsafe. She and her daughters were medically examined and found to be in good health.

Officials say the family had minimal belongings including mats and instant noodlesThe Hindu

Years of undocumented travel raise security concerns

Documents recovered from Kutina’s belongings include an expired passport and an old business visa valid from October 2016 to April 2017. She was caught overstaying once before, issued an exit permit, and briefly left for Nepal in 2018. She claims to have visited nearly 20 countries in the last 15 years, including Costa Rica, Bali, and Thailand, but it remains unclear when she returned to India.

Kutina told Indian news outlets that she returned in 2020 and had lived in a Goa cave previously. One of her daughters, she claimed, was even born in a Goa cave. “We really love India,” she said in an ANI interview, adding that grief over her eldest son’s death in a Goa road accident had delayed her visa renewal.

Bright saris hung outside the cave entrance led officers to the Russian woman and her daughtersHindustan Times

Father’s custody plea adds to legal complexity

Authorities have traced the children’s father, identified as Israeli businessman Dror Goldstein, who is currently in India. He claims Kutina left Goa with the children without informing him and says he filed a missing person report. Goldstein told NDTV that he wants joint custody and will oppose their repatriation to Russia.

Police say Kutina has been evasive about her and her children’s documents. She criticised the conditions at the detention centre, describing it as “like jail,” and insisted the forest lifestyle was safe and fulfilling. “They swam in waterfalls, made art, ate tasty food. We were happy,” she said.

Israeli businessman Dror Goldstein, the children’s father, claims he was unaware they had left Goa and now wants joint custodyScreengrab X

Spiritual journey or off-grid parenting?

Speculation that Kutina was on a spiritual mission emerged after a Hindu idol was found in the cave. However, she rejected this claim. “It’s not about spirituality. Nature gives us health,” she explained, defending her decision to live outside conventional society.

Authorities are now coordinating with the Russian consulate in Chennai to finalise deportation procedures. Meanwhile, Kutina’s case has raised broader questions around border control, child safety, and the rights of foreigners living in India without documentation.