Karnataka High Court permits Centre to repatriate Russian woman, kids found in Uttara Kannada cave

Bengaluru: The High Court of Karnataka on Friday permitted the Union government to send a Russian woman and her children back to Russia by issuing necessary travel documents. 

Justice B M Shyam Prasad passed this order while disposing of a petition filed by Dror Shlomo Goldstein, an Israeli national who claims to be the father of the children, and sought to prevent the Union government from undertaking the sudden deportation of his minor daughters from India to another country. 

Nina Kutina, a Russian national, and her two daughters were discovered living in a cave at Ramatirtha hills near Kumta in Uttara Kannada district in July 2025. 

The Union government had informed the court that the woman and the children were in the Foreigners Restriction Centre for Women. The court was also informed that the youngest child had no passport, travel document or even birth certificate. 

During the hearing on Friday, Additional Solicitor General Aravind Kamath, representing the Union government, informed the court that a DNA report of the child had been received and communicated to the Russian government. He further submitted that the Russian citizenship has been granted to the youngest child. Subsequently, emergency travel documents were issued for further action, he said, adding that the travel documents were valid from September 25 to October 9. 

He also submitted that though the woman had been overstaying since 2017, sending the mother and the children back cannot be called deportation and it is only recognising the interest of the mother and the children. 

The court noted that Russia had requested the Union government to expedite exit permits and allow the departure of the mother and the children back to Russia immediately. 

“If these two circumstances are compelling for this court to conclude that this would be in the best interest of the children, the other circumstance, which is also significant, is the imploration by the mother herself to travel back to Russia with the children that has resulted in a response by the Russian government for return of these three as early as possible. The petition stands disposed of, observing that it would be in the domain of the central government to issue necessary documents to enable the mother and the children to travel back,” the court said.