What made Karnataka HC halt Russian woman Nina Kutina's deportation after she was found living in Gokarna caves
Karnataka High Court
ordered a stay on the deportation of Nina Kutina, a Russian national who was discovered earlier this month living in a forest cave in Gokarna with her two daughters. The case was heard by Justice S Sunil Dutt Yadav, who said the decision to deport could 'endanger the children and their welfare.'
The court was responding to a writ petition filed against the deportation order. Kutina's lawyer, Beena Pillai, argued that the process overlooked the children's rights under international law.
Explore courses from Top Institutes in
Please select course:
Select a Course Category
MBA
Leadership
Healthcare
Management
Others
Data Analytics
Product Management
Artificial Intelligence
CXO
PGDM
Digital Marketing
Technology
Cybersecurity
healthcare
Data Science
others
MCA
Project Management
Finance
Data Science
Public Policy
Degree
Design Thinking
Operations Management
Skills you'll gain:
Analytical Skills
Financial Literacy
Leadership and Management Skills
Strategic Thinking
Duration:
24 Months
Vellore Institute of Technology
VIT Online MBA
Starts on
Aug 14, 2024
Get Details
Skills you'll gain:
Financial Management
Team Leadership & Collaboration
Financial Reporting & Analysis
Advocacy Strategies for Leadership
Duration:
18 Months
UMass Global
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Starts on
May 13, 2024
Get Details
She pointed to Article 3 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which states: 'The best interests of the child must be a top priority in all decisions and actions that affect children.'
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Pennsylvania: These Walk In Tubs Are Cheap (See Prices)
Walk In Tub Discounts
Undo
Taking this into account, the court said that reconsidering the deportation was 'in the best interest of both the children.'
No valid documents but no immediate deportation
During the hearing, the Assistant Solicitor General, appearing for the Union of India, admitted that the children did not possess valid travel or identity documents.
Live Events
The court noted that, without proper paperwork, any move to deport the children was unreasonable at this stage.
It has now asked the government to file a formal affidavit confirming the absence of documents and to submit objections within two weeks.
Until then, it made one point clear: no deportation can be carried out without the court being informed. The next hearing is scheduled for 18 August.
Found in a forest cave
On 9 July, police discovered Kutina and her daughters Preya, aged 6, and Ama, aged 4, living in a cave on Ramatirtha Hill in the Uttara Kannada district.
Officers on patrol noticed a curtain of red saris draped over trees. Behind it, they found a small cave, a statue of a Hindu god, scattered clothes, and eventually, a child.
They were stunned to find Kutina inside, asleep with her second child by her side.
According to police, she had been living there for at least a week. She later admitted that she had stayed in the cave on and off for the past nine months.
Her visa had expired eight years ago.
Who is Nina Kutina and why is she living in the forest?
Kutina told police she had moved to the cave for 'spiritual solitude and to live closer to nature.'
'We woke up with the sun, swam in rivers and lived in nature,' she said in interviews published by Indian media.
'I cooked on a fire or gas cylinder, depending on the season, and got groceries from a nearby village. We painted, sang songs, read books and lived peacefully.'
Despite warnings that the area was unsafe during the monsoon, Kutina resisted. She told police: 'Animals and snakes are our friends. It is only humans who are dangerous.'
Still, she was taken for a medical check-up and placed with her children in a government shelter in Tumakuru.
She later messaged a friend saying they had been 'placed in a prison without sky, without grass, without a waterfall, with an icy hard floor on which we now sleep for 'protection from rain and snakes'... Once again, evil has won.'
Kutina first arrived in India in 2016 and spent time at Arambol Beach in Goa. She later entered a relationship with Israeli national Dror Goldstein.
She overstayed her visa and was deported in 2018. She travelled to Ukraine and gave birth to her first daughter. She already had two older sons from a previous relationship.
By 2020, she was back in India. Kutina reunited with Goldstein and had another child. During this time, she made a living teaching art and languages.
But Goldstein claims the relationship fell apart. He said she began disappearing with the children.
In 2023, her 21-year-old son died in a motorbike crash. Goldstein, who was in Nepal renewing his visa, returned to find Kutina and the girls missing.
He filed a police complaint in Goa that December. In it, he accused Kutina of 'brainwashing his children and keeping them away from him.'
He also said: 'The Russian woman began to use me for money and often subjected me to physical and verbal abuse.'
For now, Kutina remains in India, under the care of state authorities. The legal battle over her immigration status and her daughters' custody continues.
When asked why she stayed in the country without documents, she replied: 'There were many complicated reasons. First, there were multiple personal losses – not just the death of my son, but also a few other close people. We were constantly dealing with grief, paperwork and other problems.'
Among her belongings taken from the cave, she claimed, were her son's ashes. The court has pressed pause, but the story is far from over.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
25 minutes ago
- Time of India
Targeted attack on Jews? Blackstone executive Wesley LePatner's death in Midtown shooting raises questions
Wesley LePatner was the Blackstone executive killed in the Manhattan shooting. The Blackstone executive who was killed by 27-year-old crazed gunman Shane Tamura was a well-known Jewish figure in the community who even received an award in 2023 for her generosity to the community. The identification of the Wesley turned the random shooting into a targeted killing as many commentators said the earlier theories linking Tamura's manifesto, blaming the NFL, do not hold water after it's found that one of the victims was a Jew. Who was Wesley LePatner ? A senior managing director of financial giant Blackstone, Wesley LePatner joined Blackstone in 2014 and served as the global head of Core+ Real Estate and chief executive officer for Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust — a $53 billion property owner, according to Bloomberg. The Yale graduate previously worked at Goldman Sachs for more than a decade and serves on numerous Big Apple boards, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art. 'We are heartbroken to share that our colleague, Wesley LePartner, was among those who lost theor lives in the tragic incident at 345 Park Avenue,' Blackstone told The New York Post in a statement. 'Words cannot express the devastation we feel. Wesley was a beloved member of the Blackstone family and will be sorely missed. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like What Will Happen to Your Body If You Start Eating 3 Eggs Every Day? Undo 'She was brilliant, passionate, warm, generous, and deeply respected within our firm and beyond. 'She embodied the best of Blackstone. Our prayers are with her husband, children and family.' 'This has nothing to do with NFL' Right-wing commentator and President Donald Trump's aide Laura Loomer trained the gun at New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani and said that the group that was behind the shooting was the same group that Mamdani was photographed with. "The Blackstone building is one of the locations that was listed as a 'Globalize the Intifada Zone of Operation' by the Palestinian jihadi group 'Within Our Lifetime' @WOLPalestine. This is the same group that @ZohranKMamdani has been photographed protesting with. Witnesses said they heard the shooter yell free Palestine. Blackstone has a Jewish CEO and the shooter shot and killed a Jewish executive. This has nothing to do with the NFL. This shooting was another targeted attack on Jews by a pro-jihadi domestic terrorist who aligned with the Palestinian movement," Loomer posted. Midtown shooting: NFL connetion of shooter Shane Tamura Mayor Eric Adams said shooter Shane Tamura probably targeted the NFL office, as a strange manifesto was found on him in which he blamed football for his brain disease CTE -- chronic traumatic encephalopathy. CTE is caused by repeated head trauma possible from playing football for a long time but Tamura never played football professionally.
Time of India
41 minutes ago
- Time of India
Goa govt to introduce holograms to curb illegal liquor trade: Chief minister
I observe a Goan excise officer using a handheld scanner to verify the authenticity of liquor bottles with holographic seals in a bustling market. Porvorim: Chief minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday said that a system of holograms will be introduced in Goa to help identify and stop illicit liquor trade in the state. His statement came after govt was heavily criticised in the assembly over an incident of a truck carrying liquor that overturned and caught fire on the highway at Dhargalim last month. Opposition MLAs asked whether 'duplicate alcohol' is being manufactured in Goa and how the truck entered the state by passing the border checkpost. Sawant admitted that no entry of vehicle was found at the checkpost. 'No duplicate alcohol is being manufactured in Goa. We will use hologram tech in the future, which allows us to scan and get all the information about the alcohol,' said Sawant. The opposition criticised govt's failure to identify the origin of the liquor consignment even though the incident occurred on June 17. 'The driver, cleaner, and others left the vehicle and ran away. Why are police and excise officials ignoring the incident? We know that illegal alcohol business is taking place in Goa,' said Benaulim MLA Venzy Veigas. The CM said that the PI and the excise inspector reached the spot once the fire was reported and seized whatever alcohol was still intact. 'Based on the collected labels, investigations are on. They transport this alcohol with no export licence, no permit. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Spacious 3 & 4 BHK Homes Starting ₹1.65 Cr Near HITEC City Honer Signatis Book Now Undo Till now, we have not been able to verify where it was manufactured,' said Sawant. He added that the vehicle was from Nagaland. 'We have written to Nagaland govt, but we have not received a response yet. Our team has gone to Delhi and Haryana already in the case,' Sawant said. Leader of opposition Yuri Alemao said that although 1,395 cases of violations in liquor trade were found in Goa, state govt has initiated action against only two inspectors. 'Only show cause notices have been issued. You need to seriously look into the lapse,' said Alemao.
Time of India
41 minutes ago
- Time of India
US public schools are losing students fast: What it means for teachers, budgets, and students
The future of public education in the United States is shifting, and the numbers back it up. According to the data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), national public school enrolment is not only lower than it was before the COVID-19 pandemic, but it is also projected to keep declining for years to come. While these numbers vary state by state, the broader story reveals demographic pressures, policy shifts, and long-term consequences for students, teachers, and state budgets. The data from NCES gives us a clear view of how enrolment trends have evolved since 2012 and what to expect in the decade ahead. A million fewer students since 2020 Between the 2020 and 2024 academic years, US public schools lost 1.28 million students, a 2.5% drop in total enrolment. Some of the steepest declines came from states already facing demographic challenges. New York, California, Mississippi, and West Virginia each lost more than 5% of their student population. Only nine states saw any growth during that period, and even those gains were modest. North Dakota, for example, was the only state with an increase above 2%. These numbers reflect the uneven landscape of American education, shaped by cost-of-living shifts, migration patterns, and the expanding role of alternative schooling models. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Why Seniors Are Snapping Up This TV Box, We Explain! Techno Mag Learn More Undo A post-pandemic plateau and now, renewed decline After hitting a low in 2021, enrolment inched upwards in 2022 and 2023. However, the recovery was short-lived. In 2024, NCES data shows that public schools again saw a net loss of over 102,000 students nationwide. Thirty-nine states recorded year-over-year declines. States like West Virginia, Arkansas, and Wyoming experienced some of the sharpest losses, with enrolment shrinking by up to 1.7%. Even states that posted modest gains such as New Jersey, South Carolina, and North Dakota saw growth under 1%. What is important to note is that this is not just a pandemic aftershock. It is part of a broader recalibration of public education that was already underway in many states well before 2020. From growth to reversal: The long view Between 2012 and 2020, enrolment in US public schools grew by 1.3 million students, a 2.6% increase. North Dakota (19%), Utah (14.3%), and Nevada (13%) led that growth. But the pandemic disrupted this momentum in ways that appear long-lasting. In Oregon, for example, enrolment rose by 7.5% between 2012 and 2020, only to fall by 6.2% between 2020 and 2024. Washington experienced a similar pattern, gaining 9.2% over eight years and losing 4.2% in the four years that followed. Some states, including California and New York, had relatively flat enrolment in the years leading up to the pandemic, but began to see sharper declines after 2020. What lies ahead for public schools Looking forward, NCES projections show public school enrolment will continue to fall, declining to approximately 46.9 million students by 2032. That marks a projected 5.3% drop from 2024 levels. States such as Hawaii, California, Mississippi, New Mexico, and New York are expected to lose more than 12% of their students in that period. Only 13 states are expected to see any increase in student numbers, which raises difficult questions about how to manage resources in areas facing population decline and how to scale infrastructure in areas where student numbers are rising. What this means for students and schools These shifts go beyond just numbers. Declining enrolment affects everything from school staffing and teacher recruitment to district funding models and building utilisation. Some districts have already begun consolidating schools, closing campuses, and reallocating resources. The NCES data underscores the need for policymakers to rethink long-term strategies around student distribution, staffing ratios, and the financial viability of school systems. The enrolment decline also intersects with broader debates around homeschooling, charter school growth, and how families make decisions about education. The COVID-19 pandemic may have accelerated trends already in motion, but the underlying forces behind shrinking public school enrolment are structural and ongoing. For educators, students, and policymakers, understanding these shifts is essential. The NCES data offers a roadmap for navigating what comes next. As the education landscape changes, so too must the conversations around it. For now, one thing is clear: in 2025, public school enrolment in the US is not just fluctuating, it is fundamentally evolving. TOI Education is on WhatsApp now. Follow us here . Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!
