The Delhi Police Special Cell has issued a formal notice to Penguin Random House India seeking clarifications over the alleged circulation of unauthorised digital and pre-print versions of former Army chief Manoj Mukund Naravane’s memoir, Four Stars of Destiny, officials said on Feb 11, according to The Times of India.
The move follows reports that a manuscript and PDF version of the yet-to-be-published book may have been illegally shared online and on messaging platforms before its official release. According to the police, the Special Cell has registered a first information report and is examining the possible leak or breach of copyright.
A senior police officer said the publishing house has been asked “multiple questions” through a notice and has been requested to provide detailed responses on how the manuscript was handled, whether any advance copies were circulated, and how an apparent pre-print PDF reached public platforms.
“Delhi Police Special Cell has issued a notice to Penguin India. Through the notice, several questions have been asked, and responses have been sought,” the officer said, adding that the matter is under investigation.
The controversy has escalated into a political flashpoint after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi cited a December 2023 social media post by General (retd) Naravane claiming the book was “available now”, and questioned the publisher’s position that the memoir has not yet been published.
Speaking to reporters in the Parliament House complex, Mr Gandhi read out General (retd) Naravane’s post and said: “Either Mr Naravane is lying – and I believe the former Army chief – or Penguin is lying. Both cannot be telling the truth.”
Mr Gandhi also claimed that some of the contents of the book were “inconvenient” for the government, and alleged that discussion of the memoir was being blocked inside Parliament.
The publisher, however, has strongly rejected any suggestion that the book has been released. In a statement titled “A quick guide to how book publishing works at Penguin Random House India”, the company explained that an announced title or one available for pre-order should not be confused with publication.
“An announced book, a book available for pre-order, and a published book are not the same thing,” the statement said. It clarified that a book is considered published only when it becomes available for sale through retail channels.
Penguin Random House India said it holds the exclusive publishing rights to Four Stars of Destiny and that no copies of the book – either in print or digital form – have been published, distributed or sold by the company, reported India Today. The publisher also warned that any version of the memoir currently circulating, in whole or in part and in any format, would amount to copyright infringement, and said it would pursue legal remedies against unauthorised distribution.
Police sources said the investigation was initiated after claims surfaced on social media that a pre-print copy of the book was being circulated without clearance from authorities. During verification, investigators found that a PDF version of a typeset manuscript was available on certain websites, while some online platforms displayed the book cover as though the title was already available for purchase.
The issue has triggered repeated disruptions in the Lok Sabha after Mr Gandhi sought to quote from the memoir during debates, but was disallowed on the grounds that the book had not been published.
Last week, Mr Gandhi was seen holding up what he described as a copy of the memoir within the Parliament complex, saying young people should know that the book “exists”. He also said that he was prevented from raising excerpts relating to the 2020 India-China military standoff in eastern Ladakh.
The controversy led to protests in the House and the suspension of eight opposition MPs for what the government described as unruly conduct. Mr Gandhi later wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, calling the episode a “blot on democracy” and alleging that, for the first time, a Leader of the Opposition had been stopped from speaking on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address.
The government, meanwhile, has maintained that the memoir has not received mandatory clearance. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has also said that the book does not legally exist as a published work.
Publishing and security officials point out that, while retired officers are not bound by service rules, manuscripts by senior military figures are routinely submitted to the Defence Ministry for vetting under established practice, and disclosures remain subject to the Official Secrets Act.
Police sources indicated that the leaked material appears to be a pre-print or working manuscript rather than a finished retail edition. Investigators are now tracing how the document left controlled circulation and whether any individuals or entities facilitated its online spread.
