Delhi Police Issue Notice to Penguin Over Circulation of M.M. Naravane's Unpublished Memoir

The investigators are looking into whether the material was accessed during submission and editorial processes, and an internal leak is being considered, leading to added criminal conspiracy charges.

The Wire Staff

The investigators are looking into whether the material was accessed during submission and editorial processes, and an internal leak is being considered, leading to added criminal conspiracy charges.

delhi police issue notice to penguin over circulation of m m naravane s unpublished memoir

Members of the Indian Youth Congress hold a placard depicting the cover of an unreleased book titled 'Four Stars of Destiny' by former Army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane during a protest seeking clarification from Prime Minister Narendra Modi over alleged references to his name in the recently released Jeffrey Epstein files, at Jantar Mantar, in New Delhi, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. Photo: PTI/Arun Sharma.

New Delhi: The Special Cell of the Delhi Police on Wednesday (February 11) issued a notice to Penguin Random House India over the circulation of the unpublished book Four Stars of Destiny written by former Army chief General M.M. Naravane (retd). A case was registered under the Information Technology Act and provisions related to criminal conspiracy under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita in connection with the alleged leak of content, The Hindu reported.

On February 3, an FIR was lodged on suo motu basis taking cognisance of reports about the circulation of the book on social media. The Delhi Police have sought clarifications from the publisher. They are investigating how the content was accessible to the public when publication clearance was not granted.

A PDF copy of the manuscript with the same title is available on multiple websites, and some online platforms are even selling it, indicating a possible leak. Police are verifying the authenticity of these materials and tracing their source. It's confirmed that the publisher and general Naravane were aware of the manuscript's contents, a senior official told TH.

Also read: Four Questions Beyond ‘Jo Uchit Samjho Woh Karo’ Raised by Ex-Army Chief's Memoirs

The investigators are looking into whether the material was accessed during submission and editorial processes, and an internal leak is being considered, leading to added criminal conspiracy charges. The police are also probing how Congress leader Rahul Gandhi got a copy as he carried it in parliament and read from it. The investigation may involve multiple individuals. Due to the provisions related to national security and official secrets, Penguin Random House and associated platforms will likely be examined as part of the investigation, the report added.

In the yet to be made public memoirs, Naravane claims that although he alerted the top ministers of the Union government about Chinese troops advancing towards India, he wasn’t instructed in a timely manner about how he should respond to the aggression and was simply told “jo uchit samjho, woh karo (do whatever you deem appropriate)”.

This article went live on February twelfth, two thousand twenty six, at seven minutes past one in the afternoon.

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