General MM Naravane Book PDF: Delhi Police have initiated an investigation into the alleged circulation of a soft copy of the unpublished autobiography, Four Stars of Destiny, by former Army Chief General MM Naravane. The controversy surrounding the book has spilled into Parliament, triggering sharp exchanges between Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and the BJP-led NDA government.
A police spokesperson said authorities took cognisance of information circulating on social media platforms and news forums claiming that a pre-print PDF of the book Four Stars of Destiny was being shared online.
“Delhi Police took cognizance of information found on various online social media platforms and news forums which claimed that a pre-print copy of the book ‘Four Stars of Destiny’ is being circulated,” the spokesperson said.
General MM Naravane Book PDF: Clearance for Publication Still Pending
According to the police, the book has not yet received the mandatory clearance from the relevant authorities, a prerequisite for publication of memoirs by former senior military officials.
“The necessary clearance for publication of this book is yet to be received from the relevant authorities,” the spokesperson added.
During verification, the police found that a PDF copy of a typeset book bearing the same title, and apparently prepared by M/s Penguin Random House India Pvt. Limited, was accessible on certain websites. In addition, some online marketing platforms had displayed the finished book cover, suggesting that the book was available for purchase.
“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. Limited, 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 spokesperson said.
FIR Registered Against General MM Naravane Book PDF Leak
To investigate the alleged leak or breach of an unapproved publication of General MM Naravane’s book, Delhi Police have registered a case with the Special Cell.
“In order to carry out a thorough investigation into this purported leak/breach of a yet to be approved publication, a case has been registered with the Special Cell and investigation is being taken up,” the spokesperson said.
Police officials said it was not immediately clear which sections of law would be invoked.
Controversy In Parliament Over General MM Naravane Book PDF
The FIR comes days after Rahul Gandhi publicly displayed a physical copy of the book on the Parliament premises, intensifying his attack on the Modi government over its handling of the India-China border issue.
Gandhi has been seeking to cite excerpts from the memoir in the Lok Sabha since February 2. However, he has been repeatedly stopped on the grounds that the book has not been officially published.
The Congress leader maintained that he only intended to quote from a magazine article that had carried excerpts from the memoir. Still, the Lok Sabha Speaker and the ruling BJP-led NDA cited parliamentary rules to disallow such references.
Why You Can Face Legal Action For Sharing, Downloading General MM Naravane Book PDF
Amid the controversy, Penguin Random House India (PRHI) on Monday issued a statement clarifying that Four Stars of Destiny, the memoir of former Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane, has not been published.
The publisher said it holds the sole publishing rights to the book and stressed that no copies, printed, digital, or otherwise, have been released to the public.
“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.
PRHI further warned that any version of the book currently circulating amounts to copyright infringement.
“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,” it said.
The publisher added that it would pursue all legal remedies available against unauthorised dissemination.
“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,” it added.
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Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
