The Karnataka police have started the process to deport the Russian woman and her two young daughters after they were found living in a cave near Gokarna, in Uttara Kannada district.
The Russian, who was staying in the cave with her six- and four-year-old daughters, has been identified as Nina Kutina. According to local authorities, the area is considered unsafe due to frequent landslides and the presence of poisonous snakes. Authorities convinced her to temporarily move to an ashram in Kumta taluk, which is run by a female spiritual leader.
Police said they are working with the Foreigner Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in Bengaluru to arrange for Kutina and her daughters to return to Russia. However, legal experts say deportation can be a difficult and costly process, a report by The Indian Express said.
Lawyer Sahana Basavapatna, who has handled similar cases, explained to IE that in most situations, neither the Indian government nor the migrant’s home country pays for the travel expenses. As a result, people often remain in detention centres until they can raise money for their own tickets. She pointed out that in the case of nationals from “enemy countries,” such as Pakistan, the government sometimes covers the cost for quick deportation due to security concerns.
Many unanswered questions
Police believe Kutina is deeply spiritual and prefers a natural lifestyle. They said she seemed shocked and stressed, so officials chose not to pressure her for information right away. Many questions remain unanswered, such as whether she and her children have received COVID-19 vaccines, whether she stayed in hotels without proper documents, and how the children were born if she was not admitted to a hospital.
Officers found that she had stored groceries and firewood in the cave and followed a routine that included yoga, meditation, chanting, drawing, and singing. Authorities are now planning to take her to Bengaluru for further steps.
Although Kutina’s children were most likely born in India, experts say they are not eligible for Indian citizenship. Under Indian law, a child born after December 4, 2004, can only get citizenship if both parents are Indian citizens, or if one is Indian and the other is not an illegal immigrant. Since Kutina had overstayed her business visa, which expired in 2017 before the children were born, she is considered an illegal immigrant, which means her children do not qualify for citizenship.