Man travels 250km to meet college student, couple then held for suspected khalwat

BATU PAHAT - A man who travelled about 250 kilometres by express bus to meet a college student was arrested during a Johor Islamic Religious Department (JAINJ) operation early Sunday morning.

The man and the woman were detained at a hotel here for suspected khalwat (close proximity).

JAINJ said the couple, both in their 20s, were arrested at about 10am following an enforcement operation at the hotel.

Investigations found that the man had travelled from outside Johor by express bus and was picked up by the woman at the bus station before they took an e-hailing ride to the hotel.

In a statement, the department said the pair had been staying at the hotel since the previous afternoon.

"They were also reported to have gone out for a meal in the evening before returning to the hotel, where they spent the night there until morning," it said.

According to JAINJ, preliminary checks found that the woman is a college student residing in the district, while the man is employed in another state.

"During the inspection, the couple admitted that they were only friends and had no mahram relations," it said.

It said the couple claimed they intended to get married in the future, but had no immediate plans to do so as the woman is still pursuing her studies.

Following the duo's detention, it said its enforcement officers contacted the woman’s family to act as guarantors.

The family was reported to be shocked, disappointed and deeply saddened by the incident, but accepted the situation with patience, the department added.