• Source:JND
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A Russian woman and her two young daughters were found living in a remote forest cave on the top of Ramatirtha Hill in Karnataka’s Gokarna. During a patrol, the police found the three within the forest and rescued them. When the Russian woman, Nina, was questioned, she said that she was living in a forest cave to engage in meditation and prayer away from urban distractions.

The incident came to light on June 9, around 5:00 PM, when Inspector Sridhar SR and his team from Gokarna Police Station were patrolling the Ramatirtha Hill area to ensure the safety of tourists. They noticed movement near a cave located in a hazardous, landslide-prone area. Upon investigation, they discovered the Russian woman and her two daughters. The Russian woman, Nina Kutina (aged 40), was residing with her two children, Prema (six years) and Ama (four years).

How Did The Three Reach The Forest Cave?

The police rescued the woman and two children and escorted them down the hill. Soon after, she was questioned, and a shocking revelation came to light. She said that she has travelled from Goa to Gokarna to seek spiritual solitude. She explained that she had chosen to live in a forest cave to engage in meditation and prayer away from urban distractions. Though her motive to live in a cave was spiritual, the authorities were concerned about the safety of the children on Ramatirtha Hill.

Ramatirtha Hill in Karnataka’s Gokarna witnessed a major landslide in July 2024, and is home to dangerous wildlife, including venomous snakes. Soon after informing about the dangers, she was relocated to an ashram run by Swami Yogaratna Saraswati, an 80-year-old female monk, in Bankikodla village of Kumta taluk, upon her request.

Further investigation revealed that the woman was reluctant to share details about her passport and visa. After gentle pressure from police, welfare officers and the ashram head, she revealed that her documents were lost somewhere in the cave. Later, the police and forest department ran a joint search operation and recovered her passport and visa documents.

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Investigation revealed that Nina had originally entered India on a Business Visa valid until April 17, 2017. An Exit Permit had been issued by the FRRO Panaji, Goa, on April 19, 2018, and records showed she had subsequently exited to Nepal and re-entered India on September 8, 2018, thereby overstaying her permitted duration.

Considering the visa violation, the woman and her daughters were sent to protective custody of the Women’s Reception Centre in Karwar, run by the Department of Women and Child Development.

The Superintendent of Police, Uttara Kannada, initiated official correspondence with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), Bengaluru, to deport the woman and her two children back to Russia. The family will soon be produced before the FRRO authorities in Bengaluru for further proceedings.

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