Russian woman and daughters found living in Karnataka cave with visa expired since 2017

A 40-year-old Russian woman and her two young daughters were found living in a secluded cave deep within the Ramatirtha hills of Karnataka’s Uttara Kannada district, according to police. The woman, identified as Nina Kutina — who also goes by the name Mohi — had entered India on a business visa in 2017, which expired the same year.

According to officials, Kutina had travelled from Russia to Goa before making her way to the coastal town of Gokarna, drawn by her deep interest in Hinduism and Indian spiritual traditions. For nearly two weeks, she had been living in complete isolation inside a natural cave, performing daily rituals with a Rudra idol, while caring for her daughters — Preya, 6, and Ama, 4.

The discovery was made by a police patrol team led by Circle Inspector Sridhar on Friday, while they were surveying the Ramatirtha hills after a recent landslide. Officers noticed sarees and children’s clothes drying outside a cave and found the trio living within.

“It was surprising how she and her children survived in such harsh forest terrain and what they ate,” said Uttara Kannada Superintendent of Police M Narayana. “We believe she reached here from Goa, but the duration of her stay in India remains unclear.”

Authorities have shifted Kutina and her daughters to a local ashram run by a sadhvi. With assistance from a local NGO, the Russian Embassy has been contacted, and deportation proceedings are now underway.

Kutina’s story — one of spiritual seeking, maternal resilience, and legal overstay — has sparked curiosity and concern in equal measure across the region.