Delhi Police register FIR over leak of former Army chief Naravane’s unpublished book

New Delhi: Delhi Police have registered an FIR after the unpublished book of former Army Chief General M.M. Naravane was allegedly circulated on social media and online platforms without mandatory approval.

According to officials, excerpts and a pre-print version of General Naravane’s book titled “Four Stars of Destiny” were found being shared widely on various social media platforms and news websites. Taking serious note of the matter, Delhi Police initiated legal action and filed a case to investigate the unauthorized circulation.

Police sources stated that the book has not yet received the necessary clearances from the concerned authorities for publication. Despite this, a PDF version of the manuscript was found available on certain websites, raising concerns over breach of confidentiality and copyright violations.

“Upon verification, it was found that a typeset PDF copy of the book prepared by M/s Penguin Random House India Private Limited was available on some websites. Certain online marketing platforms were also displaying the book cover as if the publication was already available for sale,” a police statement said.

A case has now been registered with the Special Cell of Delhi Police to conduct a detailed investigation into the leak. Authorities are trying to determine how the unpublished manuscript reached the public domain and who was responsible for circulating it.

The controversy surrounding the book has already triggered a major political storm. Last week, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was seen displaying a copy of the book inside the Parliament premises, claiming that it contained important references to the 2020 India-China border conflict.

The issue led to massive disruptions in Lok Sabha proceedings. The Speaker refused to allow Rahul Gandhi to quote from the unpublished autobiography, which resulted in protests by opposition members. Following the uproar, eight MPs were suspended for the remainder of the Budget Session.

Addressing the matter on social media, Rahul Gandhi alleged that the government was trying to suppress the book. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he wrote that he wanted to present the book to the Prime Minister in Parliament, claiming that it was being deliberately kept away from public view.

The developments have fuelled speculation that Delhi Police may question Rahul Gandhi as part of the ongoing investigation to determine how he accessed the unpublished copy. However, no official confirmation has been made in this regard.

General Naravane served as India’s Army Chief from 2019 to 2022, a period that included the tense military standoff with China in Ladakh. His memoir is believed to contain sensitive details about military strategy and diplomatic decisions during that time.

Legal experts say that circulating an unpublished book without authorization could amount to violation of copyright laws and breach of official secrecy norms. Police have assured that a thorough and impartial probe will be conducted to identify those responsible.

Further investigations are underway.

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