'What Were You Doing When Your Children Lived In Cave?': Supreme Court Pulls Up 'Father' Of Russian Kids Found In Gokarna

The Supreme Court on Monday pulled up a man claiming to be the father of two minor Russian girls who, along with their mother, were found living in a cave near Gokarna, Karnataka, earlier this year.A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi was hearing the man's plea challenging a Karnataka High Court order that had permitted the Union government to issue travel documents for their repatriation to Russia.As the matter came up, Justice Surya Kant asked the petitioner's counsel, “What is your right? Who are you?” The counsel responded that the petitioner was the father of the children and sought time to serve a copy of the petition on the Union of India.The bench, however, appeared unconvinced. “Please show us any official document that you are declared the father,” Justice Kant remarked, adding, “Why should we not direct your deportation?”Justice Bagchi also expressed sharp disapproval of the petitioner's conduct, observing, “Publicity litigation...What were you doing when your children were living in a cave?” Justice Kant further questioned how the petitioner was sustaining himself in Goa. “What were you doing staying in Goa?” the judge asked.Following the pointed remarks from the Bench, the petitioner's counsel sought permission to withdraw the plea, which the Court allowed.Before concluding the hearing, Justice Kant made a broader comment on the situation, observing, “This country has become a haven... anybody comes and stays.”Earlier, the Karnataka High Court upheld the Union government's decision to facilitate the repatriation of the Russian woman and her daughters, who were discovered living in a cave near Gokarna after reportedly running out of money.On July 11, the Russian woman (Nina Kutina) and her daughters were found living in the Ramatirtha Hills near Gokarna, Karnataka. As per claims, they had been living their for about 2 months without any residence documents.Petitioner-Dror Shlomo Goldstein moved the High Court claiming to be the daughters' father. He sought to restrain the Union from proceeding with the "sudden deportation" of the daughters from India to any other country.On behalf of the petitioner, reliance was placed on the UN Convention On Rights of Children to submit that the Court must examine whether authorities were acting in the best interest of the two minor children. It was further claimed that the petitioner was responsible for the younger child and he had been looking after the mother and the two children and providing for their well-being for a long time.The State, on the other hand, argued that on receipt of the DNA report of the younger child, a communication was sent to the concerned person in the Russian government. Following this, the Russian government issued emergency travel documents (ETD), which are of very short validity (September 25 to October 9). As such, request was made for issuance of exit permits to enable the departure of the mother and the children from India as soon as possible. It was also pointed out that the mother had travelled on a Russian passport and she had overstayed.After hearing the parties, the High Court noted that the mother and the daughters were found to be living in isolation without any facilities and the petitioner was unable to explain the situation. Further, all the details had been disclosed to the Russian government, from where the woman and child had traveled on permits but overstayed. The mother expressed willingness to be repatriated to Russia and the country showed readiness to take her and her daughters back.“If these two circumstances are compelling for this court to conclude that this would be in the best interest of the children, the other circumstances which is also significant is the imploration by the mother herself to travel back to Russia with the children that has resulted in a response by the Russian Government for return of these three as early as possible" the High Court observed.It concluded, “These circumstances all weigh, every other assertion that could be and ends the petitioners stand disposed off. Observing that it would be in the domain of the Union of India to issue necessary documents to enable the mother and the children to travel back.”The petition was filed through AoR Deepak Prakash.Case Title: DROR SHLOMO GOLDSTEIN Versus UNION OF INDIA AND ORS., SLP(C) No. 28198/2025

'What Were You Doing When Your Children Lived In Cave?': Supreme Court Pulls Up 'Father' Of Russian Kids Found In Gokarna

Debby Jain

The Court rejected the man's plea to block the travel of the mother and kids from India to Russia.

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