- Man claiming to be father of Russian girls found in Karnataka cave faced Supreme Court's tough questions
- Russian woman Nina Kutina and her two daughters lived in a cave near Gokarna for nearly two months
- Russian consulate issued emergency travel papers for Kutina and her daughters to return to Russia
Coming down heavily on a man claiming to be the father of two Russian girls found living with their mother in a cave in Karnataka, the Supreme Court today asked what he had been doing while his children lived in a cave. The court also remarked that the country has "become a haven" and "anybody comes and stays".
Nina Kutina, a Russian national, and her two children were found on July 11 in a cave in the Ramatirtha Hills near Gokarna. According to authorities, the three had been living in the cave for nearly two months. They did not have valid documents.
The Russian consulate later issued emergency travel papers for Kutina and her two daughters. At this point, Israeli national Dror Shlomo Goldstein approached the Karnataka High Court, claimed to be the girls' father, and urged the court to direct the Centre not to deport the children immediately. Goldstein had registered a police complaint at the Panaji police station in Goa last year after he was unable to trace his children.
The Karnataka High Court rejected the petition and allowed the Union government to facilitate the return of Nina Kutina and her daughters to Russia. The court noted that Nina Kutina had told the Russian consulate that she wanted to return to Russia at the earliest. The court also observed that Goldstein did not provide a satisfactory explanation for why Kutina and the children were living in a cave before they were rescued.
The same question came up in the Supreme Court today. A bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi was hearing Goldstein's challenge to the high court order. "What is your right? Who are you?" the bench asked. When the petitioner's counsel replied that he is the father, Justice Kant said, "Please show us any official document that you are declared father... why should we not direct your deportation?" Justice Bagchi remarked it was a "publicity litigation" and added, "What were you doing when your children were living in a cave?" Justice Kant said, "What were you doing in Goa?"
The bench allowed Goldstein to withdraw the petition. Justice Kant remarked, "This country has become a haven... anybody comes and stays."
