Delhi Police notice to Penguin over ex-Army chief book row

The Delhi Police Special Cell has issued a notice to Penguin Random House India seeking clarifications over the alleged circulation of an unpublished memoir of former Army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane.

Police said the notice was served amid competing claims about the status of the memoir, titled ‘Four Stars of Destiny’, and reports that unauthorised versions of the manuscript were being circulated in digital and other formats prior to publication. According to officials, an FIR has already been registered in connection with allegations that the manuscript was leaked. Police have also added sections related to criminal conspiracy to the case, and the matter is currently under investigation.

Penguin Random House India, in a statement issued earlier, said it holds the sole publishing rights to the memoir and clarified that the book has not yet been formally published. The company further warned that any version currently circulating, whether in print, PDF, or online, would amount to copyright infringement.

General Naravane has publicly shared the publisher's statement on the social media platform X, writing, “This is the status of the book,” in apparent endorsement of Penguin’s position.

However, the controversy intensified after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi questioned the publisher's claim and cited a December 2023 post by Naravane on X that read: “Hello friends. My book is available now. Just follow the link. Happy reading. Jai Hind.”