Karwar (Karnataka), Jul 12 (PTI): A spiritually inclined Russian woman and her two young children were rescued from a remote cave nestled in the serene yet treacherous Ramatirtha hills of Kumta taluk in Uttara Kannada district, a police officer said on Saturday.
Police identified the woman as 40-year-old Nina Kutina alias Mohi, who had journeyed from Russia to India on a business visa and found her way to the sacred coastal town of Gokarna via Goa, drawn deeply by the Hinduism and Indian spiritual traditions.
Her children, Preya (6) and Ama (4), had accompanied her into the heart of the forest, where they had been living in complete seclusion for nearly two weeks.
The small family had made a humble home inside a natural cave surrounded by dense woods and steep slopes.
There, Mohi kept a Rudra idol and spent her days in 'Puja' and meditation, seeking spiritual peace amidst nature. Her only companions were her two little children.
It was during a routine patrol on Friday, following a recent landslide that Circle Police Inspector Sridhar and his team spotted clothes hanging outside the cave.
Curious and cautious, the officers made their way through the thick shrubs of Ramatirtha Hill and found Mohi and her two children in the cave.
Uttara Kannada Superintendent of Police M Narayana, speaking to PTI on Saturday, said, "Our patrolling team spotted saree and other clothes being hung for drying outside the cave in Ramatirtha Hill. When they went there, they spotted Mohi along with her children Preya and Ama."
He added, "It was quite surprising how she and her children survived in the woods and what they ate. Thankfully, nothing untoward happened to her or the children during their time in the forest."
According to him, the woman may have reached the cave from Goa.
It was also found that her visa had expired in 2017. How long she has been living in India remains unclear, he added.
Narayana further said, "We have arranged her stay in an ashram, run by a Sadhvi. We have initiated the process to take her to Bengaluru from Gokarna and begin the deportation process."
With the help of a local NGO, the Russian Embassy was contacted and formalities were set in motion to deport her.

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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.
