Narendra Dabholkar was shot dead on August 20, 2013

A special court in Pune on Friday granted bail to Sanjeev Punalekar in rationalist Narendra Dabholkar's murder case.

Punalekar, a lawyer by profession, and his assistant Vikram Bhave were arrested by the CBI in the case on May 25.

Virendra Ichalkaranjikar, Punalekar's lawyer, said it was a conditional bail.

Punalekar was directed by the court to visit the CBI office twice a week, not to leave the country without the agency's permission and not to pressure the witnesses, he said.

The CBI had opposed Punalekar's bail plea, saying he might tamper with evidence and influence the witnesses.

Punalekar is accused of advising Sharad Kalaskar, one of the two alleged assailants who gunned down Narendra Dabholkar in Pune on August 20, 2013, to destroy the weapons used in the crime.

Punalekar is the fourth accused to get bail in the case after Amit Degvekar, Amol Kale and Rajesh Bangera.