A retired judge of the Supreme Court would be appointed "soon" to probe charges of spying on a young woman by Gujarat government in 2009, Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde today said.

"The union ministry has decided to set up an inquiry commission and a retired Supreme Court judge would be appointed soon to head the probe panel", Shinde told reporters on the sidelines of a function in the Union Territory of Diu.

Two investigative news portals, Cobrapost.com and Gulail.com, had claimed on November 15 that former minister of state for Home in Gujarat government, Amit Shah had ordered illegal surveillance of a woman at the behest of one "Saheb", an apparent reference to Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

They had released taped conversations between Shah and suspended IPS officer G L Singhal to support their claim, but said that its authenticity could not be confirmed.

At the function, Shinde inaugurated various projects undertaken by the central government.