Karnataka: Russian woman with two daughter found living in cave

Karnataka: A 40-year-old Russian woman and her six-year-old and four-year-old daughters were rescued from a cave in the Ramateertha hills of Gokarna in Karnataka, where they had been staying for nearly a week in pursuit of “spiritual peace”. Security personnel spotted clothes hanging outside the cave while conducting a routine patrol after a landslide occurred recently.

The woman, who has been identified as Nina Kutina alias Mohi, had come to India on a business visa that expired in 2017. According to Uttara Kannada Superintendent of Police M Narayana, the police were informed by Mohi that she was performing meditation and Hindu rituals within the cave along with her children.

The police officers found Mohi and her kids after observing clothes dried outside the cave. The authorities were surprised by how the three managed to survive in the forest, considering the cold weather and existence of wild animals. They allegedly survived on instant noodles and slept on plastic sheets.

The authorities have rescued Mohi and her children. They also arranged her stay in an ashram, run by a Sadhvi while starting deportation procedures. The Russian Embassy has been notified, and procedures are in motion to hand them over to Bengaluru FRRO.