Naravane memoir leak probe widens, police suspect conspiracy to bypass MoD clearance

Delhi Police’s preliminary probe into the alleged leak of a pre-print copy of Four Stars of Destiny, the unpublished memoir of former Army chief Gen M.M. Naravane (retd), indicates the breach may not have been the work of a lone whistleblower but part of a coordinated attempt to circumvent defence ministry clearance, officials said Wednesday.

The Special Cell has expanded the investigation by adding a charge of criminal conspiracy to the FIR and has issued a notice to publisher Penguin Random House India, seeking detailed responses to a questionnaire. Investigators are examining how the document was allegedly circulated or sold in markets including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia.

According to officials, the earliest leaked files were traced to websites using .io domain extensions linked to the British Indian Ocean Territory before appearing across multiple hosting platforms. Police are also analysing the 13-digit ISBN visible on the leaked versions and plan to question the publisher about its origin and distribution trail.


Authorities are further probing why the publisher issued a public statement on X only after the FIR was registered and not immediately upon learning of the leak. Investigators said a PDF version—believed to have been generated during the publishing process—was found on certain websites, while some online marketplaces displayed a finished book cover as if the title were already available for purchase.

Penguin Random House India has stated it holds exclusive publishing rights to the memoir and has not released the book in any format.