Why Karnataka court halted deportation of cave-dwelling Russian woman, kids
What's the story
The Karnataka High Court has stayed the deportation of Nina Kutina, a Russian woman who was found living in a cave near Gokarna with her two young daughters this month. The court's decision comes after a writ petition by Kutina's lawyer, Beena Pillai, challenged the deportation order. She argued that authorities had ignored the children's rights under Article 3 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Child welfare
Children's rights under international law to be considered
Under this article, "the best interests of the child must be a top priority in all decisions and actions that affect children." Agreeing, Justice S Sunil Dutt Yadav noted that deporting Kutina could endanger her children's welfare and safety. During the hearing, the Assistant Solicitor General also admitted that the children did not have valid travel or identity documents. In response, the court stated that without adequate documents, any attempt to deport the children was unreasonable at this time.
Document verification
Matter to be heard on August 18
The court has now asked the government to file an affidavit within two weeks confirming the absence of valid documents for the children. It has also directed that no deportation should take place without its permission until further orders. The matter will be heard again on August 18.
Case background
Kutina's journey to the cave
Kutina's journey started in 2016 when she came to India on a business visa. She overstayed her visa and became involved with spiritual communities in Goa. In 2017, she began dating Dror Goldstein, an Israeli man, but the following year, Kutina was deported to Russia for overstaying her visa. In 2020, she returned to India. In 2023, she faced a personal tragedy when her son died in a motorcycle accident. After this personal loss, she grew increasingly reclusive.
Partner
Her partner sent her money
Goldstein told reporters that although their relationship broke down, he continued to send her a "good amount" of money each month, but she shut off communication. After renewing his visa, he came back from Nepal to find that Kutina and their daughters were gone. He filed a police report in December, but he didn't hear anything for months. Then, this July, reports surfaced that they had been found in a cave in Gokarna.
Twitter Post
Entrance to the cave
#GokarnaPolice of #uttarakannada found a #Russianwoman #Nina_Kutina and her daughters aged #6and4years living in a #cave in a forest, Her #Visa had expired way back in 2017 and was #overstaying. She has been referred to #FRROfor deportation.#pramod #gokarna pic.twitter.com/XsF2U8CxqB
— Pramod (@pramodankolaVK) July 12, 2025
Cave living
'Deeply disillusioned with human society'
When questioned about her decision, Kutina told officers she was searching for "spiritual solitude and to live closer to nature." She also dismissed concerns about living in the forest, claiming "animals and snakes are our friends." After they were relocated, Kutina messaged a friend, saying they had been taken from their "big...beautiful cave" and "placed in a prison without sky, without grass...with an icy hard floor." M Narayana, Superintendent of Police, described her as "deeply disillusioned with human society."