Penguin Random House India has said that former Chief of Army Staff Manoj Mukund Naravane’s memoir has not been published in any form, hours after the Delhi Police registered a case over the alleged circulation of an unauthorised copy of the book on social media and online platforms.
The publisher issued the clarification amid soaring controversy over Naravane’s memoir Four Stars of Destiny, which is yet to receive official clearance from authorities.
PUBLISHER DENIES ANY RELEASE
In an official statement, Penguin Random House India said it holds the sole publishing rights to the memoir but has not released the book in print or digital form.
“We wish to make it clear that the book has not gone into publication. No copies of the book – in print or digital form – have been published, distributed, sold, or otherwise made available to the public by Penguin Random House India,” the statement added.
It warned that any version of the book currently in circulation, whether in print, PDF or digital format, amounts to copyright infringement and must be stopped immediately.
The publisher added that it would pursue legal action against those involved in the illegal and unauthorised dissemination of the material, and said the statement was issued to place its position on record.
POLICE PROBE INTO ALLEGED LEAK
The clarification comes after the Delhi Police registered a FIR over the alleged circulation of an unpublished copy of the book.
In an official statement, police said they had taken cognisance of reports on social media and online forums claiming that a pre-print version of the memoir was being shared without mandatory clearance from competent authorities.
According to investigators, a PDF of a typeset book, apparently prepared by the publisher, was found on certain websites. Some online platforms were also seen displaying the book cover as if it were available for purchase.
The police said they registered a case with the Special Cell to carry out a thorough investigation into the purported leak or breach of a yet-to-be-approved publication, and the investigation is being taken up.
CONTROVERSY IN PARLIAMENT
The issue spilt after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was seen holding what appeared to be a copy of the book in the Parliament complex.
The matter triggered sharp exchanges in the Lok Sabha, leading to repeated disruptions and the suspension of eight MPs for the remainder of the Budget session.
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had earlier said that the book “does not exist” in its approved form, as it has not received clearance from the Ministry of Defence. Under existing rules, former senior military officers require approval before publishing memoirs that may contain sensitive or classified material.
Rahul Gandhi later claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi avoided responding in Parliament due to the controversy surrounding the memoir.
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Published By:
Shipra Parashar
Published On:
Feb 9, 2026
