GOKARNA, India (BN24) — Indian police discovered a Russian woman and her two young daughters living in a remote forest cave in Karnataka, ending what authorities describe as years of isolation and visa violations. The case has drawn international attention for its mystery and the unusual life the family led deep in the wilderness.
The woman, identified as 40-year-old Nina Kutina, was found on July 9 along with her daughters, aged six and five, in a natural cave nestled in the rugged Ramatirtha Hills near the coastal town of Gokarna. Local police encountered the trio during a routine patrol in the landslide-prone forest area, popular with tourists but dangerous due to wildlife and unstable terrain.
Sub Inspector Sridhar S.R. of the Gokarna police said the family had been residing in the cave for nearly two months, with no artificial lighting and minimal contact with the outside world. “They were surviving on groceries Kutina brought from town, and they lived entirely by natural light,” Sridhar said. The police described the cave’s entrance as covered with red saris serving as curtains, and decorated with photographs of Hindu deities.
Kutina, who arrived in India on a business visa in 2016, reportedly overstayed her permitted stay by more than seven years. Though she made a brief trip to Nepal, she returned and went off the grid around 2018, vanishing into Karnataka’s coastal forests. Officials said she had worked previously as a Russian language tutor in Goa and spent time meditating, painting, singing, and reading in the forest, according to interviews with local media.
“The snakes are our friends. They don’t harm us unless we trouble them,” Kutina reportedly told officers who convinced her to leave the cave, citing safety concerns.
The circumstances of her extended stay and the paternity of her children have added further complexity. Kutina gave birth to both daughters in India. The children’s father, Israeli national Brar Goldstien, told The Indian Express that he met Kutina in 2017. He said she had two sons from a prior relationship — one of whom died in an accident in October 2024. Goldstien claimed he had taken care of the surviving boy and accused Kutina of denying him access to his daughters since October of last year. In December 2024, he filed a police complaint alleging Kutina physically assaulted him and extracted money from him to send to her mother.
Police located Kutina’s passport near the cave and have since moved her and her daughters to a Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) detention center. The deportation process to Russia is underway but may take time due to bureaucratic and legal hurdles. Indian officials have confirmed she lacked valid residency documentation. Authorities have also indicated that her travel out of the country is expected to be self-funded, as neither the Indian nor Russian governments are likely to cover repatriation costs.
Kutina has declined to speak publicly since her discovery, though police cited a message she sent to friends lamenting the loss of her quiet sanctuary: “Our peaceful life in the cave has ended — our cave home destroyed.”
Legal uncertainty now surrounds the future of her two daughters. Goldstien is reportedly seeking shared custody, though the path ahead remains unclear amid custody disputes, immigration proceedings, and the lack of legal residency status for the children.
The unusual case has captivated local and international observers, raising broader questions about how long-term foreign overstays are handled in India, as well as the psychological and legal welfare of children born and raised in such extreme isolation.
