Former Chief Justice of India Altamas Kabir passes away

New Delhi: Former Chief Justice of India Altamas Kabir passed away at a Kolkata hospital after suffering from prolonged illness on Sunday afternoon. 

Kabir was unwell for sometime and was admitted at city's Apollo Hospital where he was undergoing treatment. 

Earlier, some reports stated that Kabir passed away on Sunday morning. However, Apollo Hospital released a statement soon after and clarified that Kabir has been undergoing treatment and is severely unwell. 

"He is on a life support system since his condition is very critical," former Supreme Court judge Ashok Ganguly, who was present at the hospital, told PTI. 

"He is suffering from a kidney-related ailment," Justice (retd) Ganguly, also a close friend of Justice (retd) Kabir, said. 

"He is in a critical condition and is undergoing treatment," spokesperson of Apollo Hospitals Anjali Singh said.

Kabir was enrolled as an Advocate in 1973 and practiced in the District Court and the Calcutta High Court on Civil and Criminal sides. 

He was appointed as a permanent Judge of the Calcutta High Court in 1990 and as the Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court in 2005. In the same year in September, he was elevated to the Supreme Court. He was appointed as the 39th Chief Justice of India in 2012.

He held office till July 2013.