Overview

• The High Court overturned a lower court’s refusal to let the wife summon bank officials and other witnesses under Section 311 CrPC
• Justice Ravinder Dudeja emphasized that Section 311 grants courts wide discretion to summon, recall or re-examine witnesses to ensure truth and justice
• The wife contends her husband moved Rs 5.25 lakhs from the sale of a Noida flat to his mother’s Axis Bank account and transferred cash to relatives to conceal assets
• The court observed that probing the alleged transfer chain is essential to prevent frustration of maintenance proceedings under Section 125 CrPC
• The judgment underscores that a spouse’s income, assets and means are central to calculating fair maintenance awards