A Russian woman and her two children have been rescued from a remote cave in Karnataka, India, after authorities discovered she was living there with an expired visa. The woman, identified as 40-year-old Nina Kutina, also known as Mohi, had been residing in a cave in the Ramatirtha hills of Kumta taluk, Uttara Kannada district, with her two daughters, Preya, 6, and Ama, 4.
Police discovered that Kutina's business visa had expired in April 2017, over eight years ago. The exact duration of her stay in India is currently unknown, but authorities believe she may have traveled to the region from Goa.
According to reports, Kutina was drawn to Hinduism and Indian spiritual traditions, which led her to the coastal town of Gokarna. She and her children had been living in complete isolation for nearly two weeks in a natural cave surrounded by dense woods and steep slopes. Inside the cave, she had established a basic living space with a Rudra idol, spending her days in prayer and meditation.
The discovery was made on July 9, 2025, during a routine patrol by Gokarna Police Inspector Sridhar and his team, who were inspecting the Ramatirtha Hill area to ensure tourist safety, after a recent landslip. The officers spotted clothes hanging outside the cave and found the family inside. Uttara Kannada Superintendent of Police M. Narayana expressed surprise at how the woman and her children survived in the woods and what they ate, but was thankful that nothing untoward happened to them during their time in the forest. Authorities noted that the cave is located in a hazard-prone area, with previous incidents of landslides and frequent sightings of dangerous snakes and other wildlife.
Initially, Kutina was reluctant to provide documentation to the authorities, but later revealed that her documents may have been lost in the forest. A joint search by the police and forest department led to the recovery of her passport and visa, confirming the visa expiration.
Following the rescue, the police have moved Kutina and her children to a state-run Women's Reception Centre in Karwar and an ashram run by a Sadhvi. The Indian authorities have contacted the Russian Embassy and the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in Bengaluru to initiate deportation proceedings. Kutina is expected to be produced before the FRRO office in Shantinagar, Bengaluru on July 14, 2025, under police escort for further legal proceedings and deportation arrangements.
