Bengaluru, July 12: In a startling discovery, a Russian woman who overstayed her Indian visa by over seven years was found living with her two young daughters in a remote, landslide-prone cave atop Ramatirtha Hill in Karnataka's Gokarna. The woman, 40-year-old Nina Kutina, told police she had come from Goa seeking spiritual solitude and had chosen the forest cave to meditate and live away from urban distractions.

According to the NDTV report, the discovery was made on July 9 around 5:00 PM during a routine patrol by Inspector Sridhar SR and his team, who spotted movement near a hazardous area of the forest. On investigation, they found Kutina and her daughters, Prema (6) and Ama (4), residing in a makeshift dwelling in the cave, which is also home to venomous wildlife and had witnessed a major landslide in 2024. Karnataka Horror: Man Bites Off Wife’s Nose Over Loan Repayment Dispute in Shivamogga, Case Registered.

Russian Woman Seeking Spiritual Solitude Found Living in Gokarna Cave

While Kutina cited spiritual reasons for her retreat, police expressed grave concern for the children's safety. After counselling, the family was escorted down the hill and relocated, at her request, to an ashram in Bankikodla village, run by 80-year-old monk Swami Yogaratna Saraswati.

Woman Re-Entered India Illegally in 2018

During questioning, Kutina was initially hesitant to share her passport and visa details. A joint search operation by Gokarna Police and the Forest Department later recovered her documents, revealing she had entered India on a business visa valid until April 2017. Though she was issued an Exit Permit in 2018 and exited to Nepal, she re-entered India in September 2018 and remained without valid documentation. Karnataka Shocker: Man Arrested for Secretly Filming Women While They Were Bathing.

Following confirmation of the visa overstay, Kutina and her daughters were moved to the Women’s Reception Centre in Karwar, managed by the Department of Women and Child Development. Deportation proceedings have been initiated by the Superintendent of Police, Uttara Kannada, in coordination with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), Bengaluru. The family will be presented before FRRO officials for further action.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 12, 2025 04:34 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).