Delhi Police Question Penguin Over Naravane Memoir Leak
Special Cell probes alleged circulation of unpublished ‘Four Stars of Destiny’ PDF
- Delhi Police questions Penguin Random House India team
- Probe into leak of unpublished Gen. M.M. Naravane memoir
- Notice issued with 15 questions to publisher
- Investigation looks at possible conspiracy and online circulation
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 12th Feb: The Delhi Police Special Cell has questioned officials of Penguin Random House India over the alleged leak of former Army chief General M.M. Naravane’s unpublished memoir, Four Stars of Destiny.
The probe centres on a typeset PDF version of the book that surfaced on social media and other online platforms before receiving mandatory clearances and prior to formal publication.
Police issued a formal notice to the publisher, seeking clarification on how the unpublished manuscript entered the digital domain. The notice contained 15 specific questions. Members of the Penguin team responded to some of them and sought additional time to answer the rest. Investigators will now examine the responses.
A Special Cell team visited the publisher’s Gurugram office on Tuesday, where questioning lasted about two hours. Officials said the probe is focused on examining internal processes to determine whether the alleged leak was due to a lapse or a deliberate act.
A senior officer said the investigation is aimed at finding out if there was a premeditated conspiracy. Investigators also suspect that the book may have entered international markets without following official protocols.
The FIR was registered on Monday after reports surfaced that a pre-print version of the memoir was being circulated online despite not receiving the required clearances. During verification, police found a typeset PDF of the book on certain websites.
Officials said the document appeared to have been prepared by Penguin Random House India. Some online platforms were also displaying the book cover, suggesting it was available for purchase.
Another police team is gathering details about social media platforms that allegedly hosted or shared the PDF. Those platforms may be examined as part of the investigation.
The controversy intensified after Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi cited excerpts from the memoir in the Lok Sabha, triggering a political confrontation. He referred to a 2023 social media post by General Naravane stating that the book was available, and questioned the publisher’s claim that it had not yet been released.
Penguin Random House India has issued multiple statements denying any publication or distribution of the memoir. The company said it holds exclusive publishing rights and clarified that an announced book, a pre-order listing, and a published book are different stages in the publishing process.
