Russian national Nina Kutina, recently rescued from a forest cave in Gokarna, India, is facing deportation after overstaying her visa and living off the grid for years with her daughters. Authorities have confirmed she will be repatriated once official procedures are completed.
Kutina, who has not lived in Russia for the past 15 years, said in interviews with Indian media outlets ANI and PTI that she had traveled extensively across countries like Costa Rica, Malaysia, Thailand, Nepal, and Ukraine. She claims to have lived a nomadic, nature-centric lifestyle, including extended periods in Indian forests. But now, after her cave dwelling was discovered and she was placed in a detention center with her daughters, her unconventional life has drawn attention from the media, Russian authorities, and the children’s father.
Rescue, Repatriation, and a Father’s Objection
According to India’s Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), Kutina is being processed for deportation, and authorities have reached out to the Russian consulate in Chennai for coordination. However, repatriation plans have hit a legal snag after the father of her daughters, Dror Goldstein, came forward.
Goldstein, an Israeli businessman currently in India, told NDTV that Kutina left Goa without informing him and that he had filed a missing person report. He now seeks joint custody of the girls and is attempting to prevent the Indian government from sending them to Russia.
FRRO officials confirmed that Goldstein met with them and was being persuaded to cover the costs of repatriation for Kutina and her daughters. The case has become increasingly complex, intertwining immigration violations, parental custody disputes, and diplomatic intervention.
Living in Caves and Questioning ‘Spiritual’ Narratives
The circumstances of how and when Kutina reached Gokarna remain unclear. Police report that she claimed to have lived in the forest cave for about a week and had recently bought groceries from a local store. She told authorities that she came to Karnataka from Goa, where she had also resided in a cave — even giving birth to one of her daughters there.
Initial reports suggested that Kutina had chosen the cave life for spiritual reasons. An idol of Panduranga Vittala, a form of Hindu deity Krishna, was found in her cave, fueling speculation about a religious or meditative motive. However, she firmly denied this narrative in her ANI interview.
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“It is not about spiritually. We just like nature because it gives us health,” she said. Kutina emphasized that her daughters were happy and healthy living in nature, engaging in painting, swimming, and learning through art. She claimed they had enough food and a safe living space.
“We were not dying. I did not bring my daughters to die in the jungle,” she stated, adding that they encountered a few snakes but no serious danger.
Expired Visa and a Long History of Overstay
Kutina’s immigration history raises significant legal concerns. Authorities found an expired passport indicating she initially entered India on a business visa valid from October 2016 to April 2017. After overstaying, she was caught and issued an exit permit by the FRRO in Goa in 2018. Her passport shows she entered Nepal in April 2018 and left three months later. She claims to have traveled to more than 20 countries since then.
Some reports suggest she returned to India in February 2020. Kutina admitted that her visa expired months ago, blaming her failure to renew it on the grief following the death of her eldest son, who died in a road accident in Goa last year.
Now, housed in a detention center, Kutina has voiced dissatisfaction with the living conditions. “It is like jail,” she told PTI. “It’s very dirty and there’s not enough food. We cannot be alone. We cannot go outside.”
As Indian authorities move forward with deportation proceedings and the custody issue remains unresolved, the story of Nina Kutina reflects the clash between unconventional lifestyles and legal systems — with the future of her daughters hanging in the balance.