PONTIAN - A married man was detained by religious enforcement authorities after he was found in close proximity (khalwat) with a widow at a vacant house in the early hours of the morning, raising suspicion of khalwat.
The Johor Islamic Religious Department (JAINJ) said the raid was conducted at about 2am on Tuesday following a public complaint regarding suspicious activity at the property.
Enforcement officers discovered a car and a motorcycle parked near the house before proceeding with the inspection.
“To prevent any attempt to escape, two officers were assigned to monitor the back of the house while others knocked on the front door, which was locked and fitted with metal grilles.
“However, the door was not opened despite nearly an hour of knocking before officers proceeded to cut the padlock on the grille using a metal cutting tool,” the spokesperson said.
A man, dressed only in shorts and without a shirt, later opened the door from inside the house. Further inspection led officers to a woman in her 30s in the master bedroom.
“The condition of the room raised suspicion as two single beds had been pushed together to resemble a double bed, while the bedsheets and pillows were not neatly arranged,” he said.
Initial questioning revealed that the pair were neither husband and wife nor related as mahram.
The man is believed to be married with a child, while the woman is understood to be a widow. The house reportedly belongs to the man and is rarely occupied.
“When questioned, the man claimed he had only sent the woman there, who allegedly rented the house as a homestay and that he had come to clean the house.
“The complainant also informed that the incident was believed not to be the first time and the pair were suspected of arranging their meetings,” he added.
Both individuals were later detained and taken to the police station for investigation under Section 27 for suspected khalwat.