A Russian woman and her children lived in a cave in India and insist they were happy there.

A woman found in a cave in India, where she lived with her two young daughters, has been returned to Russia, a local government official said. BBC.

Nina Kutina, 40, and her daughters, aged six and five, were rescued on July 9 by police officers conducting a routine patrol in a forest in southern Karnataka state.

Since the woman did not have valid documents to stay in India, she and her children were sent to a foreigners' detention centre.

Last week, the Karnataka High Court ordered the federal government to provide Kutina and her daughters with the documents they need to return to Russia.

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According to an anonymous Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) employee, Kutikina and her children flew to Russia on September 28. Kutikina's minor son from another relationship, who was later found in Goa, also traveled with them.

The court heard an appeal by Dror Shlomo Goldstein, an Israeli businessman living in Goa. He claimed to be the father of two girls and asked the court to prohibit their return to Russia, as well as seek custody of them.

Goldstein has not yet commented on the court's decision. He has the right to appeal it, but it's unclear whether even a positive ruling in his favor would result in the children being sent back to India.

Dror Shlomo previously reported that Kutina left Goa without informing him, after which the businessman reported the matter to the police. He claimed that he had "provided her and the two girls with everything they needed for a long time."

However, the court ruling stated that, despite Goldstein's claims, the mother and children were "rather strangely" discovered "in a secluded cave."

The court noted, among other things, that Goldstein failed to explain why they had been living in the cave until they were found there and authorities began the process of providing them with a normal life.

Police officers who discovered the family previously said that while patrolling the area around the Ramtirtha hills in the Gokarna forest, on the border with the tourist state of Goa, they noticed brightly coloured fabrics hanging near a cave.

As the officers approached, they saw that the entrance was draped with bright saris. A "little blonde girl" ran out of the cave. Upon entering, the astonished police found Kutina and her second daughter.

They had only the bare essentials: plastic bedding, clothes, packages of instant noodles, and a few food items. The cave itself was leaking.

The police had to spend a long time convincing the woman that it was dangerous to be in such a remote area, teeming with snakes and wild animals. She responded, "Animals and snakes are our friends. People are dangerous."

According to her, they lived in this cave for a week before they were discovered. The Russian woman claimed she came to Karnataka from Goa, where she also lived in a grotto, and that her youngest daughter was born in a Goan cave.

In an interview with the Indian news agency ANI, Kutina claimed that she and her children are happy leading this lifestyle, and that “nature gives health.”

However, police said they could not take the risk as the area is prone to landslides during the rainy season.

Kutina and her daughters were taken for a medical examination and then placed in a detention center for foreigners.

Goldstein's lawyer argued in court that returning the children to Russia was not in their best interests. She cited India's status as a party to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the provisions of the Goa Children's Act 2003.

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However, federal government lawyer Arvind Kamath objected, saying the case could not be considered deportation, as Kutina herself had approached the Russian embassy with a request to return them to their homeland.

Court documents confirm that the Russian Embassy provided Kutina and her children with emergency travel documents between September 26 and October 9.

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