A 40-year-old Russian woman and her two daughters, aged six and four, have been discovered living in a cave in the forests of southern India after her travel documents expired eight years ago. Local authorities found them on July 9, 2023, while patrolling Ramatirtha Hill, a tourist site in Karnataka known for its landslide risks. The incident has raised significant questions regarding the family’s living conditions and immigration status.
According to the local police superintendent, M Narayana, Nina Kutina and her daughters had been residing in the cave for several years. Police records indicate that Kutina originally entered India on a business visa that expired in April 2017. After a brief departure to Nepal in September 2018, she returned to India without renewing her visa.
In an interview with the ANI news agency, Kutina defended her decision to live off the grid, describing their life as fulfilling. “We have big experience to stay in nature, in jungle. We were not dying. I did not bring my daughters to die in jungle,” she stated, adding that her children were “very happy” and enjoyed activities like swimming in waterfalls and engaging in artistic pursuits.
Authorities noted Kutina’s reluctance to provide detailed information about her family’s passports and visas. She did not disclose whether her children were born in India or Russia, but mentioned a son who had died in Goa. Narayana expressed concern over the family’s situation, stating, “Going into caves is a dangerous thing, and with two children, to live there for a week or more is astonishing.”
The police are currently overseeing the process of repatriating Kutina and her daughters back to Russia, particularly since the children do not possess passports. They have been moved to a detention facility designed for foreigners who are illegally residing in India.
The case has drawn attention not only for its unusual circumstances but also for the implications regarding immigration control in India. Officials continue to investigate how Kutina and her daughters evaded local authorities for so long. The Russian embassy has been contacted for comment regarding the family’s situation.
