New Delhi, Nov 12: Following up on a Supreme Court directive, government has chargesheeted former Environment Secretary K C Mishra in connection with the controversial Taj corridor project and appointed Telecom Secretary Vinod Vaish as inquiry officer to conduct a departmental probe, highly placed sources said today. A 1967 batch IAS officer, Mishra will appear on November 20 before Vaish, who is a year senior to him in civil service, they said.

The action against Mishra, who has been put on "compulsory wait" in service since September, comes in the wake of the Supreme Court asking the government to initiate departmental inquiry against him. The sources said Mishra has denied the allegations contained against him in the chargesheet last month leading to appointment Vaish as the inquiry officer to ascertain whether the charges could be proved as required under the all India service rules.

CBI and Central Forensic Science Laboratory have alleged that Mishra had carried out interpolations and additions in the files to cover up the actions taken by him as environment secretary in the Taj corridor project, the sources added. Bureau Report