India, July 18 -- A custody dispute has emerged after Russian national Nina Kutina and her two young daughters were found living in a remote cave near the coastal town of Gokarna in Karnataka.

Dror Goldstein, an Israeli national who divides his time between Goa and abroad, travelled to Tumakuru to meet his daughters - Prema, 6, and Ama, 4-currently in government custody. However, due to procedural requirements, he was denied access to the Foreign Detention Centre.

Days after the cave discovery, Nina Kutina's estranged partner, Goldstein, has sought shared custody of the children, expressing his desire to remain close to them.

Goldstein said he last met Kutina and the children at Gokarna's main beach months ago, unaware they had moved i...