Russian Family Found in Cave Faces Deportation

Nina Kutina, a 40-year-old Russian woman, and her two young daughters were found living in a remote cave near Gokarna, Karnataka, after overstaying her business visa that expired several years ago. Kutina arrived in India in 2016 and both her daughters were born during her stay, as she sought spiritual solitude and practiced meditation and Hindu rituals in the forest. The family survived in dangerous, landslide-prone conditions on minimal rations, with Kutina expressing a preference for the wilderness over society. Authorities, concerned for the children's safety, persuaded Kutina to leave and have begun deportation proceedings, which may require her to fund her own return to Russia. The case highlights issues of child safety, immigration enforcement, and the plight of undocumented foreigners in India. Kutina and her children are currently being cared for at a women's center while arrangements for their deportation are underway.