 "Inside the cave, the 'spiritually inclined' Russian woman had kept a Rudra idol, Russian books, and photos of Hindu deities. Police found her during a routine patrol. Image courtesy: X")
Days after a Russian woman, along with her two daughters, was found living inside a remote cave in the Indian state of Karnataka, a statement from her husband has emerged in the media.
Speaking to Indian news channel NDTV, Dror Goldstein, an Israeli man, claimed that he was the Russian woman’s husband, and she left Goa along with the daughters without informing him.
The woman has been identified as Nina Kutina.
Goldstein, who allegedly met Nina in Goa eight years ago and fell in love, shared his story with the media.
“We spent seven months in India together, and then we spent more time in Ukraine,” he said.
For the past four years, Goldstein has been travelling to India to visit his daughters, Prema (6) and Ama (5).
“A few months ago, she (Nina) left Goa without informing me, and I didn’t know where they were,” he said.
After filing a missing person complaint, he discovered Nina and their daughters were living in Gokarna.
“I went to see my daughters, to see how they are. She wouldn’t let me spend time with them, only a little bit; she made it really hard,” Goldstein explained.
He’s now pushing for shared custody, saying, “I want to be able to be in touch and close to my two daughters.”
Goldstein also mentioned that he’s been sending Nina a “good amount” of money each month, adding, “She has everything they need.”
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View AllRegarding their potential deportation, Goldstein vowed to do everything possible to stop the Indian government from sending his daughters to Russia.
“It would be hard for me if they will be taken there,” he said.
On July 11, police found Nina and her daughters living in a cave on Ramatirtha Hill in Gokarna during a routine patrol.
The 40-year-old explained she had moved from Goa to Gokarna seeking spiritual solitude, choosing the cave to meditate and pray, far from city distractions.
Authorities discovered Nina had entered India on a business visa valid until April 2017.
The Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in Panaji, Goa, issued an exit permit in April 2018, and records show she left for Nepal and re-entered India in September 2018, overstaying her visa.