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On July 9, during a routine patrol, police rescued Nina Kutina and her daughters from a cave near Ramtirtha Hill in the Gokarna forest, an area bordering the popular tourist destination of Goa. Authorities have placed them in a detention center for foreigners near Bengaluru, the state capital, and plan to deport them soon.
In video interviews with the Indian news agency ANI, Nina Kutina defended her lifestyle, stating that she and her children were living happily in the cave, as nature promotes good health. However, even a week after their rescue, several questions remain unanswered: how they ended up in the snake-infested forest, how long they had been living there, and their true identities.
### How the Police Found Them
According to M. Narayan, Superintendent of Police for Uttara Kannada district, the area is popular among tourists, especially foreigners, but is home to numerous snakes and prone to landslides during the monsoon. To ensure tourist safety, police began patrolling the forest last year.
An unnamed police officer involved in the rescue told the BBC that they spotted brightly colored clothes hanging outside to dry, prompting them to investigate. Descending a steep hill, they reached the cave, its entrance covered with a colorful cloth. They were stunned to see a small blonde girl running out, followed by Nina Kutina and her other daughter inside the cave.
Police reported that the family had minimal possessions, including a plastic mat, clothes, instant noodle packets, and some grocery items. The cave was also leaking water. In a police video reviewed by the BBC, the children, dressed in colorful Indian attire, were seen smiling at the camera.
Narayan noted that Nina and her children appeared comfortable in the cave, but it took time to convince them of the dangers due to snakes and wildlife. When informed that the cave was unsafe, Nina reportedly said, “Animals and snakes are our friends. Humans are dangerous.”
After the rescue, Nina and her daughters were taken to a hospital for medical examination and were certified to be in good health.
### Who is Nina Kutina?
An official from India’s Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) confirmed that Nina is a Russian citizen and will be repatriated once formalities are completed. The FRRO has contacted the Russian Consulate in Chennai, while the BBC’s attempts to reach the Russian Embassy in Delhi have received no response.
In interviews with ANI and PTI, Nina revealed she was born in Russia but has not lived there for 15 years, having traveled to countries like Costa Rica, Malaysia, Bali, Thailand, Nepal, and Ukraine. She has four children aged between 5 and 20. Her eldest son died in a road accident in Goa last year, and her 11-year-old son is currently in Russia. The FRRO has informed the Russian Consulate of these details.
On Tuesday night, the FRRO located the father of Nina’s two daughters, Dror Goldstein, an Israeli businessman in India. Authorities are coordinating with him to cover the costs of repatriating Nina and her daughters. Goldstein told NDTV that Nina left Goa without informing him, and he had filed a missing person report with the police. As the father, he seeks joint custody of his daughters and is prepared to take all measures to prevent their deportation to Russia.
### When Did She Arrive in Gokarna?
It remains unclear when and how Nina Kutina and her daughters reached the Karnataka forest. She told police they had been living in the cave for a week, having purchased vegetables and groceries, including instant noodles, from a local shop. She claimed to have lived in a cave in Goa, where one of her daughters was born.
In a Wednesday interview with PTI, Nina complained about the detention center, describing it as “like a jail.” She said, “We were living in a very good place, but now we can’t be alone or go outside. The place is dirty, and there’s not enough food.”
Nina claimed to have lost her passport, but police found an expired one among her belongings, revealing she entered India on a valid business visa from October 18, 2016, to April 17, 2017. She overstayed, and the Goa FRRO issued an exit permit. Immigration stamps show she entered Nepal on April 19, 2018, and left three months later. Her whereabouts afterward are unclear, though she told ANI she visited at least 20 countries, including four after leaving India in 2018. When she returned to India is unknown, but some reports suggest February 2020.
Nina admitted to PTI that her visa had expired months ago, attributing the oversight to grief over her son’s death, which left her unable to focus on other matters.
### Why Was She Living in the Cave?
Initial reports suggested Nina was meditating in the cave, possibly for spiritual reasons, especially after a statue of Panduranga Vitthal, a form of the Hindu deity Krishna, was found there. However, she dismissed this in an ANI interview, stating, “It’s not about spirituality. We love nature because it brings us good health, which you don’t get at home.” She emphasized her extensive experience living in jungles and insisted her daughters were happy and healthy, swimming in waterfalls and creating art with clay.
Nina described the cave as large, beautiful, and near a village, allowing her to buy food and essentials. She told ANI, “We weren’t dying. I didn’t bring my daughters to the jungle to die. They were happy, swimming in waterfalls, and we had a good place to sleep. We ate well, and I cooked delicious food.” She rejected concerns about her children’s safety, noting that seeing snakes in the jungle was no different from encountering one in a kitchen or bathroom.
