Karnataka: Ex-husband seeks shared custody after Russian woman, kids found living in Gokarna cave
Bengaluru, Jul 16 (PTI): Days after Russian woman Nina Kutina was taken into custody for living in a cave deep inside the forest in Karnataka’s Gokarna with her two daughters, her ex-husband, an Israeli citizen, is demanding shared custody of their daughters, saying he wants to be a father to them.
"I just want to be able to see my daughters a few times a week and take care of them, too. My concern is that if they go to Russia now, it will get tougher to keep in touch with them. So, I wish they could stay in India," said Goldstein to PTI Videos on Wednesday.
Dror Goldstein (38), who said he lives for nearly six months a year in Goa, said he had been living separately from Kutina (40) for the last couple of years and that he "lost touch" with them when she took the daughters and left Goa a few months ago.
"I managed to find them on a beach in Gokarna, but Kutina refused to let me be with my children as I don’t live with them anymore," added Goldstein.
He said he met Kutina in Goa around 2017 and they had been together, travelling between India and Ukraine, until they split.
He said he had left India this time around in March, and because of the war, he couldn’t come before this.
"When I heard the news, I booked a flight immediately to Bengaluru to try and meet them," said Goldstein.
He said Kutina wants to raise the children alone.
"She told me in the beginning itself that if I don’t live in the same house, I should not be in touch with them at all," claimed Goldstein.
When they left Goa a few months ago, Goldstein said he filed a missing report with the police.
"But now, I want to push for shared custody," he added.
Goldstein said he has been supporting Kutina since she gave birth to his first daughter.
"I give her money every month and then come here to India to spend six months with them, as I have other obligations for the other six months. Also, the visa is only for six months," he added.
Goldstein said his younger daughter was born in India and that Kutina has been living here (in India) for nearly five years.
"As I understand, she (Ama) is a citizen of India and should not be deported," he said.
The girls, Prema (6) and Ama (4), were found with Kutina in a secluded cave in the Ramatirtha hills of Kumta taluk on July 11.
They were found living inside a cave in Gokarna during a routine inspection by the police after a landslide in the area.
Police had said that all three had lived in isolation for nearly three weeks before they were found.
In an earlier interview with PTI, Kutina said that her life in the cave was not as it was being portrayed in the media.
She also complained about the place where she and her daughters were taken after being moved from the cave.
"We are now kept in an uncomfortable place. It’s dirty, there’s no privacy, and we get only plain rice to eat. Many of our belongings were taken, including the ashes of my son, who passed away nine months ago," she told PTI Videos.
VIDEO | Karnataka: A Russian woman and her two children were found living in Gokarna cave. Here's what Israeli citizen, Dror Goldstein, father of the two girls, said, demanding their custody.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 16, 2025
"My wish is to be close to my two daughters. I demand shared custody. I want to be… pic.twitter.com/vrudA9kkpL
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Worker’s body reaches Ranchi from Saudi 4 months after death; family rejects over compensation
Ranchi (PTI): The body of a migrant worker from Jharkhand’s Giridih district killed in Saudi Arabia in October last year has arrived at Ranchi Airport, but his family refused to accept it over pending compensation, officials said.
Shikha Lakra, team leader of the state migrant control cell, told PTI that, before taking the body of Vijay Kumar Mahato, the family is demanding compensation from the private company where he used to work in the Arab country.
Mahato was killed in an alleged crossfire between the police and criminals.
“Since it was a bullet injury case, the matter is before a court in Jeddah. The final compensation may depend on the court’s decision,” Lakra said.
“The Indian Embassy informed us about the body’s arrival, and coordination was done with district authorities. Our role is limited to coordination in cases involving overseas employers and foreign jurisdiction,” she added.
Giridih Deputy Commissioner Ram Niwas Yadav said the authorities will try to convince the family to perform the last rites.
“We have already sanctioned Rs 5 lakh under the government scheme for migrant’s deaths abroad. The compensation payment might take some time,” he said.
The body is currently at the mortuary of Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi.
The Family members said they will only accept it if the company provides written assurance regarding compensation. “Without that assurance, we will not receive the body,” said Ram Prasad Mahato, the deceased’s brother-in-law.
Mahato, a native of Dudhpaniya village in Madh Gopali panchayat under Dumri block, was employed as a tower line fitter. His family said he was struck by a bullet during a gunfight between local police and an extortion gang and later succumbed to his injuries.
Social activist Sikander Ali said Mahato is survived by his wife, two young sons aged five and three, and elderly parents.
