Gokarna Police Rescues A Russian Woman And Her Two Minor Daughters From A Secluded Cave

Karnataka | Gokarna 

A Russian woman and her two minor daughters were rescued from a secluded cave in Karnataka’s forested area – probe to be a potential landslide-prone area in Ramatirtha Hills near Gokarna recently. The rescue operation was carried out a few days ago by the Gokarna police during a routine patrol focused on tourist safety in the region. Nina Kutina, 40, and her daughters Premanand, 6, and Ama, 4, were discovered living in a cave at a remote and landslide-prone spot of the forest by Circle Inspector Sridhar SR and his team. The police escorted all the three down the hill and relocated them to an ashram in Bankikodla village, under the care of 80-year-old spiritual leader Swami Yogaratna Saraswati.

Nina Kutina is drawn to Indian spiritual traditions

The woman drawn to Indian spiritual traditions, had arrived in the country on a business visa and made her way from Goa to the sacred coastal town of Gokarna as a tourist and decided to stay put there. Kutina had been living in complete isolation inside a natural cave for nearly two weeks, accompanied by her daughters. The family had set up a modest living space within the cave, surrounded by dense forest and steep slopes potentially land-slide zones.

How police found Nina and her daughters?

The police, while monitoring the area following a recent landslide, they noticed clothes hanging out to dry near the cave and decided to investigate further. It was then they discovered the woman and her children living quietly inside. Uttara Kannada Superintendent of Police M Narayana said, “Our patrolling team noticed sarees and other clothes drying outside a cave in the Ramatirtha Hills. When they reached the spot, they found Kutina and her two daughters residing there.” Upon inquiry, the Russian woman claimed to have come to India on a business visa, initially failed to produce valid travel documentation. She said her passport and visa may have been lost in the forest. A subsequent search by the Gokarna Police and the Forest Department led to the recovery of the documents.

When Nina entered India?

Verification revealed she had entered India on a business visa in October 2016, which expired on April 2017. An exit permit was issued by the FRRO Panaji in April 2018, after which she reportedly travelled to Nepal and re-entered India in September 2018. Due to safety concerns, the woman and her daughters were transferred to the Government Women’s Shelter in Karwar, under the Department of Women and Child Welfare.

Superintendent of Police, Uttara Kannada, has initiated proceedings with the Foreigners’ Regional Registration Office (FRRO), Bengaluru, regarding the overstaying violations. With assistance from a local NGO, the Russian Embassy has been contacted, and repatriation formalities are underway to ensure the safe return of the mother and her children.

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