Delhi Police send notice to Penguin India over leaked ex-army chief memoir

The Delhi Police Special Cell has intensified its investigation into the alleged leak of the unpublished memoir of former army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane, issuing a formal notice to Penguin Random House India and asking the publisher to join the probe and respond to a series of detailed queries, officials said on Wednesday.

“ Delhi Police Special Cell has issued a notice to Penguin India. Through the notice, several questions have been asked, and responses have been sought,” a senior police officer said, adding that the inquiry is focused on identifying the source of the leak and tracing the digital trail of the manuscript’s circulation.

The controversy centres on Naravane’s memoir, Four Stars of Destiny , which is yet to receive mandatory clearance from the Ministry of Defence. Under existing norms, former senior military officers are required to obtain official approval before publishing any material that could contain sensitive operational or classified information. Police said the manuscript entered the public domain even though such clearance was still pending.

An FIR has been registered after investigators found a typeset PDF of the unpublished book circulating online , along with reports of unauthorised physical copies. “The unauthorised dissemination of the manuscript led to the registration of an FIR, and the matter is under investigation,” a police official said, noting that possible offences related to criminal conspiracy and copyright violations are being examined.

Penguin Random House India has maintained that the book has not been published, distributed, or sold in any format. In a statement, the publisher said, “ Any circulating copies are illegal and amount to copyright infringement . We will take appropriate legal action against those responsible for the unauthorised dissemination.” General Naravane has also backed the publisher’s stand, reiterating that the memoir remains officially unpublished.

The issue escalated into a political controversy after Rahul Gandhi cited excerpts in Parliament , prompting objections from the treasury benches. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh objected to the reference, while Speaker Om Birla ruled that unpublished material could not be cited in the House, stating that its contents could not be authenticated. The episode triggered sharp exchanges between the government and the opposition, further intensifying scrutiny of the leak.

Police officials said the investigation is now focused on tracing the digital trail and fixing responsibility , with efforts underway to determine whether any internal breach or external compromise led to the manuscript’s circulation. “We are examining all technical and forensic evidence. No arrests have been made so far,” an official said, adding that further action would depend on the findings of the ongoing probe.