‘I just want to be a father’: Israeli man seeks custody of daughters found living with Russian woman in Karnataka cave; says ‘ I want to meet them’ | Bengaluru News

NEW DELHI: Days after a 40-year-old Russian woman and her two daughters were found living in a forest cave near Gokarna, Karnataka, the girls’ father, Israeli national Dror Goldstein, has demanded shared custody, saying he wants to be close to his children. “My wish is to be close to my two daughters. I demand shared custody. I want to be able to meet them, to be close to them and to be a father. That’s all,” Goldstein said. The girls, Preya (6) and Ama (4), were found with their mother, Nina Kutina, in a secluded cave in the Ramatirtha hills of Kumta taluk on July 11. They had spent nearly two weeks there in isolation, according to officials. Kutina, a traveller and artist originally from Russia, told news agency PTI that her life in the cave was self-reliant and far removed from the negative portrayal in news reports. “We woke up with the sun, swam in rivers and lived in nature. I cooked on a fire or gas cylinder depending on the season, and got groceries from a nearby village. We painted, sang songs, read books, and lived peacefully,” she said. The family had been navigating the dense forest terrain surrounded by steep hills. Kutina said she entered India on a business visa and arrived in Gokarna via Goa. Claiming to be a mother of four, Kutina said she had been travelling across nearly 20 countries over the past 15 years and delivered all her children without medical help. She described herself as a trained teacher in art and Russian literature who personally educates her daughters, who have not attended formal school yet. “They are very smart, healthy, and talented. Everyone who meets them says so,” she said, adding that she now plans to formally homeschool them. Kutina also said she earns a living through artwork, music videos, babysitting, and teaching jobs. “And if I can’t find work, my brother, father or even my son helps me. So we always have enough money for what we need.” Following their rescue, Kutina claimed they were now being kept in “uncomfortable” and “unhygienic” conditions, with little privacy or nutritious food. “We are now kept in an uncomfortable place. It’s dirty, there’s no privacy and we get only plain rice to eat,” she said, adding that many of their belongings had been taken — including the ashes of her son, who died nine months ago. She alleged that news coverage had twisted the truth. “Everything shown on TV about us is false. I have videos and photos that show how clean and happy our life was before.” Kutina said she hadn’t returned to Russia due to personal tragedies and legal issues. “There have been many complicated reasons. First, there were multiple personal losses — not just the death of my son, but also a few other close people. We were constantly dealing with grief, paperwork, and other problems.” She added that despite travelling to four other countries recently, she kept coming back to India due to an emotional connection. “We love India deeply — its environment, its people, everything.” Kutina said she is now in touch with the Russian Embassy, which is offering her and the children assistance. Meanwhile, Goldstein has gone public with his desire to be part of his daughters’ lives — raising questions about the legal future of the children and the custody battle that may follow.