Israeli man seeks custody after Russian Woman found living in Gokarna cave with daughters

Israeli man seeks custody after Russian Woman found living in Gokarna cave with daughters

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru/Gokarna, July 16, 2025: The husband of a Russian woman recently found living with her two daughters in a cave atop Ramatirtha Hill in Gokarna has claimed she left Goa without informing him. Dror Goldstein, an Israeli national, told NDTV that he has been searching for his children after Nina Kutina, 40, suddenly disappeared with them.

Goldstein said he met Nina in Goa around eight years ago and later spent time with her in Ukraine. "We spent seven months in India together, and then we spent more time in Ukraine," he recalled. The couple has two daughters—Prema (6) and Ama (5).

 

According to Goldstein, he has been visiting India regularly over the past four years to meet his children. "A few months ago, she left Goa without informing me, and I didn’t know where they were. I filed a missing complaint and eventually found them in Gokarna," he said.

Goldstein alleged that Nina did not allow him to spend adequate time with the children. "She made it really hard. I want to be able to be in touch and close to my two daughters," he said, adding that he wants shared custody.

He also stated that he has been financially supporting Nina and the children. “She has everything they need. I’ve been sending her a good amount of money every month,” he said.

On the issue of deportation, Goldstein expressed concern, saying, “It would be hard for me if they will be taken to Russia. I’ll do everything to prevent that.”

Nina and her daughters were found by police on July 11 during a routine patrol. She claimed to have come to Gokarna from Goa in search of spiritual solitude and had been living in the forest cave to meditate and pray, away from urban distractions.

Authorities discovered that Nina had entered India on a business visa valid until April 2017. Although she had obtained an exit permit from the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in Goa in 2018 and left for Nepal, she re-entered India in September 2018 and has overstayed her visa since.

Police and immigration authorities are currently examining her visa status and the future course of action.