Bedbugs in railway station VIP sofas: Court issues contempt notice to Divisional Railway Manager

A railway court at Aurangabad has issued a show cause notice to the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of Nanded division over bedbug infested sofas in the VIP room at Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar railway station. 

Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) SM Aher warned the senior official of contempt of court proceedings for failing to address the issue despite earlier directions. 

The matter arose in May 2026 when Justice Manjusha Deshpande of Bombay High Court and her husband noticed old, pest-infested sofas in the VIP room and reported the matter. 

On May 20, Magistrate Aher directed the DRM to carry out pest control and replace the old sofas so that inconvenience is not caused to the judges. 

However, railway authorities failed to take action or respond for nearly four months.

In the show cause notice of September 19, the Court noted that judges are now forced to wait in their vehicles instead of using the designated lounge. 

“As the sofas in VIP room are having bed bugs, this is very disgusting position to sit on those sofas by Hon'ble High Court Judges i.e. very very important persons and they are now sitting in their cars instead of sitting in VIP room,” the notice said.

The notice highlighted that most judges at the Aurangabad bench of the High Court travel by train and rely on the VIP facility.

The Magistrate expressed displeasure over the inaction and lack of response for over four months. 

“Your said act is in blatant disrespect to the direction of the judicial officer, which is contemptuous,” the notice said.

The Magistrate ordered the DRM to personally appear before the court on September 30 to show cause why contempt of court action should not be initiated.