Who is Nidhi Pandey, drug officer suspended after being caught on camera seeking bribe?

Drug inspector Nidhi Pandey, who was posted in the Shamli district of Uttar Pradesh, has been suspended after she was caught on camera reportedly demanding bribe from chemists in exchange for approval certificates. 

A clip, featuring the drug inspector seeking bribe from a chemist, went viral online. In the clip, Pandey can be seen asking for a bribe worth thousands of rupees from a chemist, saying, "Don't bargain with me. Don't do 'Baniyagiri' with me". 

January 1, 2025

Following the incident, the authorities swung into action and suspended the inspector, after which, there has been an atmoshphere of joy among the chemists of Shamli. Several chemists in the district descended to streets and celebrated Pandey's suspension with rallies and drum beating. 

As per several media reports, this was Nidhi Pandey's first posting. A few days back, she raided a medical shop and demanded a bribe from the shop owner. 

Who is Nidhi Pandey?

According to a report by UP Tak, Nidhi Pandey pursued M Pharma from 2010 to 2012. After this, she worked in many companies. In 2022, she was selected as a drug inspector. 

Notably, Pandey has been in controveries for a past few years, with several chemists levelling bribery charges against her. Based on these complaints, Prasanna Choudhary, Shamli MLA, and Ashraf Ali, Thanabhawan MLA, previously wrote to the Uttar Pradesh government demanding her transfer.

The MLAs also alleged that Nidhi Pandey used to threaten the medical shop owners to cancel their license, in case, they didn't pay the bribe. 

Due to her actions, there was an increased supply of expired medicines in the district, media reports have said.