Delhi Police Special Cell Questions Penguin Random House Over Leak of Gen MM Naravane's Unpublished Memoir

New Delhi: The Delhi Police Special Cell has intensified its probe into the alleged unauthorized leak of former Chief of Army Staff General MM Naravane's (retd) memoir, Four Stars of Destiny, by summoning and questioning representatives from Penguin Random House India (commonly referred to as Penguin India).

According to police sources, the Special Cell issued a formal notice to the publisher containing 15 specific questions related to the circumstances surrounding the manuscript's apparent circulation in digital form, despite the book not having received mandatory clearance from the Ministry of Defence or being officially published.

A team from the Special Cell questioned the Penguin India representatives for approximately two hours on Thursday. During the session, the publisher's team provided answers to some of the questions posed in the notice. For the remaining queries, they requested additional time to compile and submit detailed responses.

The Special Cell is now set to carefully analyze the information and answers already provided by Penguin Random House India, as part of its ongoing investigation into what authorities suspect may be a coordinated effort to bypass official protocols for publications involving sensitive defence-related content.

The case stems from reports of an unpublished version of the memoir surfacing online and reportedly being made available on international platforms without authorization. Police have invoked provisions related to criminal conspiracy under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, alongside relevant sections of the Information Technology Act, in an FIR registered earlier this month.

Penguin Random House India has previously clarified that it holds exclusive publishing rights to the book and that no copies, in print or digital form, have been officially published, distributed, sold, or made available to the public. The former Army Chief has also endorsed this position.

The investigation continues, with authorities examining potential internal or external sources of the leak amid broader concerns over national security protocols and unauthorized dissemination of defence-related material.

Also Read: No Privilege Motion Against Rahul Gandhi, But Speech Parts to Be Expunged; BJP MP Demands Lifetime Poll Ban For ‘Destabilizing India’