In a passionate defence of the Chief Justice of India and the institution they serve, Supreme Court judge Justice Arun Mishra on Thursday said there were rich and powerful people who thought they could bludgeon and blackmail the court into submission, but little did they know that they were playing with fire.

Justice Mishra's words came at the end of an hour-long hearing into an affidavit filed by lawyer Utsav Singh Bains that claimed he has proof of a powerful lobby of fixers, disgruntled employees and corporate figures at work to frame CJI Ranjan Gogoi. Mr. Bains said he was approached by a person called 'Ajay', who enticed him with money. The man had claimed to be a relative of the former court staffer who has levelled sexual harassment allegation against the Chief Justice.

He also added that the bench has come to know these fixers are usually represented by senior advocates in the Supreme Court. "We want to tell the rich and powerful of this country that they cannot run the Supreme Court," said an agitated Justice Mishra.

Ms. Jaising also voiced her concern about whether the probe into the 'larger conspiracy' would consume the allegations raised by the woman against the CJI. Her allegations were being examined separately by a committee of three apex court judges. "Your Lordships cannot investigate her defence,"

Justice Mishra said, "This Bench will not inquire into her allegations. Our job is to find out if somebody approached Utsav Bains to file a false case; whether they are two former Supreme Court employees or others; whether there are fixers involved; whether a conspiracy was hatched after bench-fixing attempt failed.

justice Mishra said that if the allegations against the woman were proved, then she would seem to have no defence.