A 40-year-old Russian woman, Nina Kutina, also known as Mohi, was discovered living in a cave on the Ramateertha hills in Gokarna, Karnataka, along with her two daughters aged six and four. According to police officials, she had been residing in the area for at least a week in pursuit of "spiritual peace."

Discovery During Routine Patrol

The police came across the unusual situation during a routine patrol on Friday. Following a recent landslide in the region, Circle Inspector Sridhar and his team were checking the hill area when they noticed clothes drying outside a cave. Upon closer inspection, they found Nina and her children living inside.

Uttara Kannada Superintendent of Police M Narayana said, “Our patrolling team spotted saree and other clothes being hung for drying outside the cave in Ramatirtha Hill. When they went there, they spotted Mohi along with her children.”

Practising Meditation in the Forest

During initial questioning, Nina told the police she had been meditating and performing Hindu rituals inside the cave. Officers were shocked that she and her children had managed to survive in such a remote and potentially dangerous location.

“It was quite surprising how she and her children survived in the woods and what they ate. Thankfully, nothing untoward happened to her or the children during their time in the forest,” SP Narayana added.

The police learned that the family had been using plastic sheets as bedding and surviving mainly on instant noodles.

Visa Overstay and Missing Documents

Investigations revealed that Nina had entered India on a business visa which had expired in 2017. Initially, she refused to reveal her passport and visa details, later claiming they were lost in the forest. However, police eventually recovered her documents near the cave.

The woman is suspected to have traveled from Goa before settling in the dangerous terrain of Ramateertha hills, known for landslides and wild animals, including venomous snakes.

Deportation Process Begins

After finding the family, the police arranged temporary shelter for Nina and her daughters at an ashram run by a female spiritual leader (Sadhvi). Authorities have now begun the process of deporting her.

“We have arranged her stay in an ashram, run by a Sadhvi. We have initiated the process to take her to Bengaluru from Gokarna and begin the deportation process,” Narayana stated.

With assistance from a local NGO, the Russian Embassy was contacted, and the formal procedures for deportation were initiated. SP Narayana confirmed, “Our department informed Russian embassy and would hand them over to Bengaluru FRRO on Monday.”