Delhi Police are investigating the alleged early circulation of a pre-print copy of Four Stars of Destiny, the unpublished memoir of former Indian Army Chief General M.M. Naravane (retd). Authorities now believe the so-called “leak” was not the work of a whistleblower but a coordinated effort to evade the formal defence clearance process required before publication.
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What Police Found in Their Probe
According to officials, the Delhi Police Special Cell expanded its investigation after discovering that a PDF of the yet-to-be-approved memoir had been shared online, including via domain extensions like .io (British Indian Ocean Territory), before the book had received formal clearance. The police added a charge of “hatching a criminal conspiracy” to the FIR in the case and have issued a notice to the book’s publisher, Penguin Random House India, seeking answers to a detailed questionnaire.
Investigators are also examining the International Standard Book Number (ISBN) visible on the leaked files to trace how the document spread across platforms in countries such as the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia.
Publisher’s Position
Penguin Random House India has insisted it holds the sole publishing rights to Four Stars of Destiny and that the book has not been officially published in any form. The publisher has denied releasing the memoir in print or digital format and said that any circulating copies are unauthorized.
Officials have also questioned why the publisher’s public statement about the leak came after the FIR was registered, and why authorities were not alerted sooner when the first copies appeared online.
Ongoing Legal and Security Implications
Under Indian rules, former senior military officers must obtain government clearance before publishing material that might contain sensitive defence details. Failing to follow this process can lead to legal consequences, including potential action under the Official Secrets Act or other regulations intended to protect national security.
Police continue to investigate the origins of the leak, how copies reached the internet, and whether any laws governing classified information were violated during the process.
