Overview

• Kutina and her daughters Preya (6) and Ama (4) were discovered on July 9 by Gokarna police during a routine patrol in the landslide-prone Ramatirtha Hills.
• A joint search by police and forest officials recovered Kutina’s passport and visa documents, confirming her business visa expired in April 2017 and that she re-entered India in September 2018 without valid permission.
• The Department of Women and Child Welfare has placed the family in protective care, lodging them at an ashram in Bankikodla village and a women’s reception centre in Karwar.
• Uttara Kannada Police have referred the case to FRRO Bengaluru, which is coordinating with the Russian Embassy to arrange the family’s repatriation.
• Officials say the episode highlights tensions between personal spiritual pursuits, immigration regulations and safeguarding minors in hazardous remote terrain.