Russian woman living with her daughters in a jungle cave for years, found in Karnataka

In early July 2025, a startling discovery unfolded in the dense forests of Uttara Kannada, near Gokarna in Karnataka. During a routine safety patrol on July 9 around 5 PM, Officer Sridhar SR and his team spotted clothes hanging outside a remote cave in the landslide-prone Ramatirtha hills. When they investigated, they encountered a 40‑year‑old Russian woman named Nina Kutina, also known simply as “Mohi,” along with her daughters, Preya (6) and Ama (4)—all living in complete seclusion deep within the forest Vartha Bharathi+15www.ndtv.com+15@mathrubhumi+15.

Nina had initially entered India on a business visa in October 2016, which expired in April 2017. Despite this, she remained in the country, first moving from Goa and eventually making her way into the Gokarna hinterlands The Indian Express+7India Today+7Herald Goa+7. Motivated by a profound spiritual longing and fascination with Hindu traditions, she built a simple dwelling in the natural cave, complete with a Rudra idol, where she practiced puja and meditation daily alongside her young children Herald Goa+4The Indian Express+4Vartha Bharathi+4. Local reports suggest they survived on instant noodles and whatever wild edibles they could forage, though precise details remain unclear @mathrubhumi.

This secluded lifestyle had gone unnoticed until the recent rains caused landslides that prompted enhanced patrolling by police. These patrols uncovered the cave and led to the shocking confrontation: a foreign woman and her kids living clandestinely in a remote, hazardous forest The Times of India+12www.ndtv.com+12Herald Goa+12.

Concerned for their safety amid the treacherous terrain—known for slides and venomous wildlife—the police convinced Nina to descend. Respecting her spiritual commitment, authorities arranged for temporary shelter at an ashram led by 80‑year‑old Swami Yogaratna Saraswati in Bankikodla village. From there, she and her daughters were transferred to a women’s reception center in Karwar under Child Welfare Department supervision @mathrubhumi+5Herald Goa+5www.ndtv.com+5.

Further scrutiny of Nina’s records revealed that after her visa expired on April 17, 2017, she had briefly left for Nepal in April 2018—but returned to India in September 2018 without renewing her stay @mathrubhumi+12www.ndtv.com+12The Indian Express+12. Immigration authorities are now coordinating deportation processes with assistance from the Russian embassy and a local NGO The Indian Express+8Herald Goa+8Indiatimes+8.

When questioned, Nina expressed profound grief at the prospect of leaving India, saying she felt a deep connection to its forests, spirituality, and tranquil solitude India TV News+3The Indian Express+3www.ndtv.com+3. Meanwhile, authorities focused on resolving her legal status and ensuring the children’s wellbeing The Times of India. She is set to be presented before the FRRO office in Bengaluru around July 14 to begin formal repatriation procedures Vartha Bharathi+4@mathrubhumi+4www.ndtv.com+4.

This extraordinary tale highlights multiple intersecting realities: the limits of legal documentation, the depth of personal spiritual quests, and the risks of unilateral isolation. Nina’s choice to live in extreme solitude with her children—unsheltered, undocumented, and unnoticed for years—raises it as much a survival story as a mental health and immigration caution.

As deportation arrangements move forward, the focus turns to resettling the children: whether they will return with their mother or remain under social care until diplomatic clearances are finalized. For local authorities, the episode stressed the importance of vigilance in remote public spaces; for the humanitarian sector, it raised questions about how vulnerable migrants might resort to extreme self-reliance when official channels fail them.

Above all, the saga underscores an enduring paradox: the human yearning for spiritual freedom can drive individuals to the wilderness, but when that freedom clashes with law and wellbeing, the story becomes a delicate negotiation among personal calling, practical reality, and institutional reach.

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