A 40-year-old Russian woman and her two daughters were found living inside a cave in the Ramateertha hills in Karnataka's Gokarna town.
The woman, identified as Nina Kutina alias Mohi, was living in near-complete isolation for nearly two weeks. According to the police, she came to India on a business visa, which expired in 2017.
She, along with her daughter Preya (6) and Ama (4), made her way from Goa to the spiritual coastal town of Gokarna, known for its deep religious and meditative roots.
The family lived inside a natural cave nestled among dense forests and rugged terrain. Mohi had transformed the cave into a spiritual sanctuary, placing a Rudra idol. She also reportedly dedicated her days to performing puja and meditation.
How was the family found?
Officials found the cave where the Russian woman and her two daughters were living during a routine patrol on Friday, following a recent landslide.
Police Inspector Sridhar and his team spotted clothes hanging outside the cave. The officers made their way through the thick shrubs of Ramatirtha Hill and found Mohi and her two children in the cave.
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{{/usCountry}}“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,” Uttara Kannada superintendent of police M Narayana said.
Nina told the police that she was practising meditation and “Hindu rituals” inside the cave.
“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,” he said.
The three were using plastic sheets to sleep and eating instant noodles, the official added.
Initially, Nina told the police that her passport and visa documents were lost in the forest, but police officials recovered them from near the cave.
Officials temporarily moved the family to an ashram. “We have initiated the process to take her to Bengaluru from Gokarna and begin the deportation process,” Narayana said.