Appointed by K. R. Narayanan | Name Bhupinder Kirpal Preceded by Sam Piroj Bharucha | |
 | ||
Born 1 November 1936 (age 87) ( 1936-11-01 ) | ||
Succeeded by Gopal Ballav Pattanaik Education University of Cambridge | ||
Bhupinder Nath Kirpal (B. N. Kirpal) (born November 8, 1937) was the 31st Chief Justice of India, serving from 6 May 2002 until his retirement on 7 November 2002.
He began his legal career as an advocate in 1962, and was appointed as a Judge of Delhi High Court in November 1979. In December 1993, he was appointed as Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court.
In September 1995, he was appointed as Judge of the Supreme Court of India, and became Chief Justice of India in May 2002.
Even after retirement as the Chief Justice he remained the president of the Indian Forest Commission.
He is a modernite, born in Lahore, but shifted to Delhi after partition. He is married to Aruna Kirpal and has three children. He suffered from a brain stroke in early 2007.