New Delhi, February 11: The Delhi Police Special Cell has issued a formal notice to publisher Penguin Random House India as part of an intensifying investigation into the alleged leak of former Army Chief General MM Naravane’s unpublished memoir, Four Stars of Destiny. The move comes amid a high-stakes political confrontation in Parliament regarding how the manuscript reached Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi despite not being officially released.

The notice, issued Wednesday, reportedly asks the publisher to provide details regarding the manuscript's handling and to join the ongoing investigation. This follows the registration of an FIR by the Special Cell on charges of criminal conspiracy related to the unauthorized circulation of the book’s digital and physical copies. ‘Four Stars of Destiny’: Delhi Police Register FIR Over Circulation of Unpublished Book by Former Indian Army Chief MM Naravane.

The controversy reached a boiling point in the Lok Sabha earlier this week when Rahul Gandhi attempted to quote excerpts from the memoir to criticize the government’s handling of the 2020 India-China standoff. Gandhi cited passages alleging that the political leadership was hesitant to provide clear instructions when Chinese tanks moved toward the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

The government immediately contested the citations. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Speaker Om Birla maintained that "unpublished literature" cannot be quoted on the floor of the House as its contents remain unauthenticated. In a defiant response, Gandhi later brandished a hardbound copy of the book within the Parliament complex, challenging the government’s claim that the book did not yet exist in print.

Penguin Random House India has issued multiple clarifications, stating that the book is currently awaiting mandatory clearance from the Ministry of Defence and has not been cleared for sale. The publisher emphasized that any circulating copies are unauthorized and constitute a copyright violation. General Naravane has also maintained that the book has not been officially released. 'Four Stars of Destiny': Penguin India Issues Clarification After Political Row, Says MM Naravane’s Memoir Not Published; Warns of Legal Action Over Fake Copies.

The police investigation is now focused on the chain of custody of the manuscript. Authorities are seeking to determine how a document undergoing security clearance—which reportedly contains sensitive details regarding national security and military operations—entered the public domain and reached political figures before its sanctioned release date.

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