The Aurangabad Railway Court has served a show cause notice to the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of the Nanded Division, following complaints about bedbug infestations in the VIP lounge sofas at the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Railway Station. Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) S.M. Aher issued a stern warning of contempt proceedings against the senior railway official for not complying with earlier directives to resolve the issue.
The situation came to light in May 2026 when Justice Manjusha Deshpande of the Bombay High Court, accompanied by her husband, encountered the pest-ridden sofas during a visit to the VIP room. Disturbed by the condition, they formally reported the matter.
On May 20, Magistrate Aher instructed the DRM to implement pest control measures and replace the aging sofas to prevent inconvenience to the judiciary members. Despite these clear instructions, the railway authorities failed to act or respond for nearly four months.
The court’s show cause notice, dated September 19, underscored the gravity of the situation, noting that judges are compelled to wait in their vehicles instead of using the designated amenities. The notice stated, “As the sofas in the VIP room are having bed bugs, this is a very disgusting position for Hon’ble High Court Judges, i.e., very important persons, who are now sitting in their cars instead of the VIP room.”
The notice further emphasized that the judges of the Aurangabad Bench frequently travel by train, making them reliant on the VIP facilities provided by the railway station. Magistrate Aher expressed dissatisfaction over the prolonged inaction and communication lapse from the railway authorities.
“Your said act is in blatant disrespect to the direction of the judicial officer, which is contemptuous,” the notice stated. The Magistrate has mandated the DRM to appear in person before the court on September 30 to explain why contempt proceedings should not progress.
