Secret cave shelter in Gokarna exposes quiet survival journey of Russian mother with two children amid wild terrain
by Utsav RoyDuring a routine patrol, authorities came across a Russian woman and her two young daughters residing in a hazardous, secluded cave atop a hill. The family had been living in an improvised shelter hidden deep within the forested region.
The incident took place in a dangerous cave atop Ramatirtha Hill, Gokarna, in Uttara Kannada district, in southern India’s Karnataka, on July 9.
Visuals show that during a police patrol in a hilly forest, they entered a cave where a Russian woman and her two daughters had been living for a long time and were found inside without leaving.
According to reports, on July 9 at around 5:00 pm, Inspector Sridhar SR and his team from Gokarna Police Station were conducting a patrol in the Ramatirtha Hill area to ensure tourist safety. While scanning the forest, they noticed movement near a cave situated in a landslide-prone and hazardous zone. Upon investigation, they found Nina Kutina, a 40-year-old Russian woman, living inside the cave with her two daughters, Prema (6 years, 7 months) and Ama (4 years).
Nina explained she had traveled from Goa to Gokarna seeking spiritual solitude and chose the forest cave to meditate and pray, away from city distractions. Despite her spiritual intentions, authorities grew concerned about the children’s safety in such a dangerous environment.
Ramatirtha Hill had suffered a significant landslide in July 2024 and is inhabited by dangerous wildlife, including venomous snakes, making it a risky location. After counseling Nina and informing her about the dangers, police rescued the family and escorted them down the hill. At Nina’s request, she was relocated to an ashram in Bankikodla village, Kumta taluk, run by 80-year-old female monk Swami Yogaratna Saraswati.
During further inquiries, Nina was hesitant to provide details about her passport and visa status. After gentle persuasion from police, welfare officials, and the ashram head, she disclosed that her documents might have been lost inside the cave. A joint search by Gokarna Police and Forest Department officials eventually recovered her passport and visa.
Records showed Nina initially entered India on a business visa valid until April 17, 2017. An exit permit was issued by FRRO Panaji, Goa, on April 19, 2018, and she had reportedly exited to Nepal before re-entering India on September 8, 2018, thereby overstaying her visa.
Due to this violation, Nina and her daughters were taken to the Women’s Reception Centre in Karwar, managed by the Department of Women and Child Development, where they remain in protective custody.
The Superintendent of Police, Uttara Kannada, has contacted the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in Bengaluru to initiate deportation proceedings for Nina and her children. They will soon appear before FRRO authorities in Bengaluru for further action.