Penguin Random House India on Monday said it has not published the memoir of former Indian army chief General MM Naravane, following the registration of an FIR by Delhi Police over the alleged circulation of the book online
Penguin Random House India on Monday said it has not published the memoir of former Indian army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane, following the registration of an FIR by Delhi Police over the alleged circulation of the book online.
Statement from the publisher. pic.twitter.com/pksacg3EeT
— Penguin India (@PenguinIndia) February 9, 2026
In a statement, the publisher confirmed that the book “has not gone into publication” and that it holds the sole publishing rights of the memoir titled Four Stars of Destiny.
“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 said.
The statement added, “Any copies of the book currently in circulation, in whole or in part, whether in print, digital, PDF, or any other format, online or offline, on any platform, constitutes an infringement of PRHI’s copyright and must immediately be ceased.”
The published said that it would pursue all legal remedies available against unauthorised dissemination of the book.
“Penguin Random House India shall be exercising remedies available in law against the illegal and unauthorised dissemination of the book. This statement is being issued to place the publisher’s position on record.”
The Delhi Police has registered an FIR over the alleged circulation of an unpublished book by former Chief of Army Staff General MM Naravane on social media, an official statement said on Monday.
“The Delhi Police has taken cognisance of information circulating on social media platforms and online news forums claiming that a pre-print copy of a book titled Four Stars of Destiny is being circulated without mandatory clearance from competent authorities,” the statement said.
Delhi Police files FIR
In an official statement on Monday, the Delhi Police said it has registered an FIR over the alleged circulation of the unpublished book on social media.
Police noted that the necessary clearance for the book’s publication is yet to be received from the relevant authorities.
“The Delhi Police has taken cognisance of information circulating on social media platforms and online news forums claiming that a pre-print copy of a book titled Four Stars of Destiny is being circulated without mandatory clearance from competent authorities,” the statement said.
“Upon verification, it was found that a PDF copy of a type-set book with the same title and apparently prepared by M/s Penguin Random House India Pvt Ltd is available on certain websites and, also, some online marketing platforms have displayed the finished book cover as if it is available for purchase,” the statement added.
The case has been registered with the Special Cell, which will investigate the purported leak and any breach of the yet-to-be-approved publication.
The controversy over the unpublished memoir also entered the political arena after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was seen displaying a purported copy of the book in the Parliament complex last week.
The incident sparked a major uproar, disrupting Lok Sabha proceedings and leading to the suspension of eight MPs for the remainder of the ongoing Budget session.
With inputs from agencies
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