The four men have been identified as Baljeet Singh (34), Bikkar Singh (28), Kulwinderjeet Singh (33) and Trilochan Singh (45). The arrest came after one-and-half years of painstaking intelligence gathering, said Karnal Singh, Joint Commissioner (Special Cell).

The outfit's target included Baba Pyarelal Pariharwala, a Rohtak-based religious leader. The militants were planning to kill Pariharwala tomorrow, he said. However, Singh refused to reveal the names of other targets, saying the information would be shared with Punjab Police. The militants were planning to smuggle in a gun inside a milk container to Pariharwala's ashram and even had a trial run to check whether arms could be taken inside in this manner, he said.

The officers said they target religious leaders to attract attention towards them. Singh said the outfit was trying to regroup its cadre and some of its functionaries operating in foreign countries like Germany were flushing in money through hawala. “These people have received around Rs 17 lakh through hawala,” Singh said. While Baljeet is a postgraduate in History and has links with top militants, for example Delhi cinema hall blasts accused Jagtar Singh Hawara, Kulwinderjeet is an accused in six blast cases. Trilochan is a driver in Haryana Roadways while Bikkar is a school drop out.