New Delhi: The Rajya Sabha Chairman has appointed Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjan Gogoi as head of the panel probing sexual harassment charge against a Madhya Pradesh High Court judge following the retirement of Justice Vikramjit Sen from the apex court.

Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi had recently expressed the view that despite his retirement from the apex court on December 31 last, Justice Sen could continue to head the panel as the Judges Inquiry Act, 1968 is silent on the issue on whether a judge can head the committee despite his retirement from the court.

He had left it to Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari to take a call on whether he wants Justice Sen to continue or replace him with a sitting judge. The Law Ministry had, however, said that Justice Sen was heading the panel by virtue of being a sitting judge of the Supreme Court and, hence he should be replaced.

Vice President Ansari decided to reconstitute the committee. The ministry was also asked if another sitting SC judge is appointed in place of Justice Sen, will the panel start its

investigation afresh or continue from where the Sen panel had left.

The AG had said the probe by the committee could recommence from the stage it was on December 31 when Justice Sen retired. In April last year, Ansari had set up the three-member panel to investigate sexual harassment charge against Justice Gangele.