New Delhi, May 31: Delhi police today arrested two men, believed to be members of the Sikh rebel group Babbar Khalsa International, in connection with last week’s cinema bombings in the city that killed one and injured dozens.

The Pakistan-based group, headed by Wadhwa Singh, is known to have strong links with ISI.

The breakthrough came this morning when a team from the Delhi police special cell investigating the blasts at Liberty and Satyam cinemas screening Jo Bole So Nihaal, considered offensive by some Sikhs, arrested 24-year-old Balwinder Singh near Jalandhar in Punjab. The team had been camping in Punjab for the last three days.

During interrogation, Balwinder confessed that he and three associates ? Jagannath, Jaspal Singh alias Raja and Vikas ? had planned the blasts. Later in the day, the police arrested Jagannath in Delhi. A search at Jagannath’s Uttam Nagar residence yielded one kilogram of RDX, two kg of gold and Rs 2.94 lakh.

Delhi police commissioner K.K. Paul told a news conference the same group carried out “both blasts”. “Intelligence inputs have revealed that Balwinder Singh and Jaspal were in touch with the Babbar Khalsa International and were recruited in December 2004,” he said.

Paul said the group was planning the bombings since December, much before the film was released. “Till now, it seems like they wanted to send some message. It looks like it was connected to the film, but it cannot be said definitely.”

After they were recruited, Balwinder and Jaspal had travelled to Bangkok on April 22 and met a person identified as Shahid to discuss terrorist strikes to be carried out. Several militant groups operating in Jammu and Kashmir have of late been using Bangkok as a base.

Balwinder and Jaspal returned to Delhi on May 13 and did a recce of movie halls on May 21, a day before the blasts. The next day, the first anniversary of the Manmohan Singh government, they sneaked in the bombs in bits and pieces.

The four first went to Liberty. Balwinder, Jaspal and Vikas entered the hall while Jagannath waited outside. Jaspal assembled the bomb inside the toilet, gave it to Balwinder and left the hall just before the interval. Jaspal and Jagannath then went to Satyam.