Russian woman found living in cave with daughters; Israeli father seeks joint custody

In a startling turn of events, a 40-year-old Russian woman, Nina Kutina, and her two young daughters were rescued from a remote cave in Karnataka’s Gokarna region on July 9. The family had been living in the forested and landslide-prone Ramatirtha Hills when discovered by police during a routine patrol.

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Officials said Nina's visa had expired in 2017. Following the rescue, she and her daughters—Prema (6) and Ama (4)—were relocated to an ashram in Bankikodla village, under the care of 80-year-old Swami Yogaratna Saraswati. She reportedly gave birth to one of her daughters during her time living in a cave in Goa.

After Nina’s claim that an Israeli businessman is the father of her children, Indian authorities contacted Dror Goldstein, an Israeli national. Goldstein confirmed paternity and expressed a strong desire to co-parent his daughters.

“I met Nina in India. Later, we moved to Ukraine. We have two daughters together. I have also paid for the rent in Goa where we used to stay,” he said. “Since 2021, I have been coming and going to take care of them. We have been in a relationship for two years.”

Goldstein added, “My wish is to be close with my daughters. I want to meet them two times a week, ensure that they have a proper education and social life.”

He further claimed to have supported the family financially. “From the moment our first daughter was born, I have been supporting her financially. 2500 dollars a month and later 4000 a month,” he said.

Currently, Nina is being housed at a detention centre in Bengaluru due to her expired visa, while child welfare authorities assess the situation.