An India Today ground report has found that Jammu and Kashmir DSP Davinder Singh, who was arrested along with two militants, was building a house next to an army base in Srinagar.

Davinder Singh had been building a lavish mansion in Indira Nagar -- which is considered to be the most secure zone in Srinagar. His house had been under construction since 2017. The mansion shared a wall with the headquarters of the 15 Corps.

The under-construction house of DSP Davinder Singh who was arrested along with militants on Friday. (Photo: RoufAhmad Roshangar/India Today)

A ground investigation found that Davinder Singh had been living in a rented house belonging to his relative since the past five years. The police also recovered arms and ammunition from the house.

When India Today team visited Singh's house in Srinagar, it found that all his family members and relatives have left the area and the rented house is also locked.

House of Singh's relative where the police officer was staying with his family. (Photo: RoufAhmad Roshangar/India Today)

The J&K top cop has two children -- his elder daughter is studying MBBS in Bangladesh and his son studies in Kashmir's premier Burn Hall school.

Senior Jammu and Kashmir police officer Davinder Singh, posted with a strategic department at the airport, was arrested on Saturday for the "heinous crime" of ferrying a lawyer and two terrorists who were being allegedly taken out of Kashmir valley for a possible terror strike, a senior police officer said on Sunday.

Davinder Singh.

In a swift operation, police arrested Deputy Superintendent of Police Davinder Singh at Mir Bazar in Kulgam district along with terrorists of the banned Hizbul Mujahideen -- Naveed Baba who was its district commander, and Altaf -- besides an unidentified lawyer who was working as an overground worker for terror outfits.

Terming this as an exceptional case where a senior police officer was involved in such a crime, Inspector General of Police (Kashmir) Vijay Kumar told reporters that he would be dealt as per the law and the way the police has been treating other terrorists.

"It is a heinous crime and he will be treated at par with other terrorists," Kumar said, adding that all three were being subjected to intense questioning by a joint team from central security agencies as well as the police.

Singh, who was in line for a promotion as superintendent of police later this month, was posted at the anti-hijacking unit at the Srinagar airport. He was under the radar of the police when the plan was being hatched for smuggling out the terrorists, an official said on the condition of anonymity.

Singh's name had also surfaced during investigations for the 2001 Parliament attack when convict Afzal Guru had alleged his role. The probe, however, was in Singh's favour.