Mir (left) had arranged for Davinder Singh (right) to transport the militants from Jammu to PoK. (Photos: India Today)

The security grid in Jammu and Kashmir was shaken up by the arrest of DSP Davinder Singh who was caught while transporting two Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) terrorists -- Naveed Babu and Rafi Ahmed -- and a lawyer Irfan Shafi Mir in a vehicle on January 11.

But, as the National Investigation Agency (NIA) delved deeper into the conspiracy, it found that Davinder Singh was only a "mercenary". Instead of the DSP, Irfan Ahmed Mir, a law school dropout, is emerging as the key man behind the operation post-interrogation.

Agencies have revealed that Irfan was the one who travelled to Pakistan at least five times. His passport showed that he had travelled via the legal route during which time he visited the Hizb office and met the top leadership of the terrorist organisation.

Irfan's social media profile reads: "Always be rock-solid to meet any challenge". Rishte kabhi kudarati maut nahi marte, unko hamesha insaan qatal karta (Relationships do not die naturally, they are murdered by humans)".

Irfan is no ordinary catch. His father Shafi Mir was a top Hizb commander in the 1990s, with the current HM chief Syed Salahuddin as his bodyguard.

Irfan told NIA that he suspected that his "late father" was killed in an encounter after someone from the terror module leaked his presence. However, despite feeling betrayed by Hizb, he continued to be in touch with the leadership in PoK.

NIA sources said that Irfan had met the entire leadership of the Hizb. He went to look for the grave of his father, who later gained a cult status among HM and the Jamaat sections in Pakistan and parts of Kashmir.

Irfan Shafi Mir, a resident of Diaroo in Shopian, was the common link between Davinder Singh and dreaded Hizb leader Naveed Babu.

Mir had arranged for the militants to be transported to Jammu and subsequently to be exfiltrated to PoK.

However, Davinder Singh, who was paid a hefty sum for the high-risk assignment, told NIA that he wanted to extract money from the module and later would have earned brownie points with J&K Police after tipping them off and getting them eliminated.

Irfan's phone book also gave away contacts of two-dozen numbers of various terrorists and over-ground-workers (OGW). Some of them are said to be 'most wanted' in NIA cases.

His social media profile shows that he was following a mix of journalists, Bollywood actors and the official account of the Jammu and Kashmir Police

According to sources Babu, Ahmed and Mir had planned to travel to Pakistan after reaching Jammu. After Singh's arrest, along with Irfan Shafi Mir and two Hizb terrorist, the J&K police conducted multiple raids at the DSP's residence. So far six people have been arrested in the case.