Anguished with way judiciary being treated: SC on lawyer's claim of conspiracy against CJI

The Supreme Court on Thursday expressed anguish over the "systematic attack" on the judiciary and said time has come to tell the rich and powerful of this country that they are "playing with fire" and this must stop.

The apex court was hearing claims made by an advocate that there was a larger conspiracy to frame Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi on allegations of sexual harassment.

The court said it will pass an order at 2 pm.

A special bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra said that it was anguished with the way the judiciary has been treated for the past 3-4 years.

"The way this institution is treated in last few years we must say that we will not survive if this will happen," a bench also comprising Justices R F Nariman and Deepak Gupta said.

"There is a systematic attack, systematic game to malign this institution", the bench said.