After former Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice SJ Vazifdar refused to head the Sterlite panel, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) was on the lookout for an alternative ‘credible’ name and exploring the possibility of appointing an ex-judge of Tamil origin.

On Friday, the tribunal revealed the name of the new chief for the Sterlite panel. They have named Former Megalaya Chief Justice Tharun Agarwal as the head of the pannel.

Heated arguments were put forth from both sides during the urgent hearing on Thursday as the NGT chairman AK Goel rejected all three names proposed by Sterlite counsel C Aryama Sundaram.

The names included those of former Chief Justice of Bombay High Court Mohit Shah and former Chief Justice of India Jagdish Singh Khehar Ahluwalia.

But Goel insisted that it would be better to appoint a person having a background knowledge of the case. However, the Sterlite council opposed it and suggested to finalise a justice from other states for fair proceedings.

The National Green Tribunal on Friday made an announcement saying that the former Meghalaya Chief Justice will be heading the probe.

After Tamil Nadu government ordered a permanent closure of Vedanta's Sterlite factory in Thoothukudi, the company made an appeal to the NGT requesting the factory to be reopened.