Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Sep 27: The Karnataka High Court has allowed the Union government to issue travel documents for a Russian woman and her two minor daughters, who were discovered living in a cave near Gokarna in July, paving the way for their return to Russia.
Justice B M Shyam Prasad passed the order while hearing a petition filed by Israeli national Dror Shlomo Goldstein, who had sought to prevent the immediate deportation of the children. Goldstein claims to be their father and has been pursuing custody proceedings.
The woman, identified as Nina Kutina, was found with her daughters on July 11 in the Ramatirtha Hills, Kumta taluk, where they had reportedly lived for nearly two months without valid travel or residence papers. Goldstein had earlier lodged a missing complaint in Goa after failing to trace his children in India.
The court noted that the Russian consulate had issued emergency travel documents for Kutina and the children, valid until October 9, and also considered Kutina’s own request to be repatriated to Russia.
Goldstein’s counsel argued against deportation, contending it would not serve the children’s best interests while custody matters were still unresolved. The bench, however, remarked that Goldstein had failed to explain why the family was living in isolation in a cave before their rescue.
Observing that the welfare of the children must take precedence, the court held that the mother’s wish to return to Russia, coupled with the Russian government’s readiness to facilitate their repatriation, outweighed other concerns.
At an earlier hearing on August 22, Goldstein’s legal team had cited the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, while Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Arvind Kamath assured the court that Kutina and her daughters were being looked after at the Foreigners Restriction Centre for Women. He had clarified that deportation would not be rushed, as DNA tests were required to establish the younger child’s parentage in the absence of official documents.
On September 26, the ASG informed the court that the DNA report had confirmed the child’s identity, following which the Russian government granted citizenship and issued emergency travel documents to enable the family’s return.