Israeli Man Seeks Custody of Daughters Found Living in Karnataka Cave

The husband of a Russian woman found residing inside a cave in Karnataka along with her two daughters has demanded shared custody of the children and expressed a desire to be close to them. Dror Goldstein, a resident of Israel, met the Russian woman, identified as Nina Kutina, in Goa about eight years ago and fell in love with her. He claimed that Nina had left him along with their daughters without informing him a few months ago.

Goldstein had earlier said that he had been visiting India for the last four years to meet his daughters: Prema (6) and Ama (5).

\"My wish is to be close to my two daughters. I demand shared custody. I want to be able to meet them, to be close to them, and to be a father. That's all,\" Goldstein told PTI.

Earlier reports stated that the Russian woman informed authorities that the father of her children is an Israeli businessman, and that she gave birth to one of her daughters while living in a cave in Goa.

The Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) had contacted the father and mentioned that the deportation of Nina and her children to Russia would take approximately one month.

Speaking on the deportation, Goldstein said he would do everything in his power to stop the government from sending his daughters to Russia.

\"It would be difficult for me if they are taken there,\" he was quoted as saying by NDTV.

During a police patrol on July 11, Nina and her two daughters were discovered living in a cave on Ramatirtha Hill in Gokarna. When questioned, the 40-year-old said she had journeyed from Goa to Gokarna in search of spiritual solitude.

She stated that she chose the forest cave as a place for meditation and prayer, seeking distance from the distractions of city life.

According to a report by The New York Times, Nina arrived in India several years ago with her two sons and a daughter. Her eldest son passed away at the age of 21, and the whereabouts of her other son remain unknown. She had entered the country on a business visa, which expired in 2017, and has remained in India since then due to what she describes as 'several complicated reasons'.

According to the source: Mint.