Penguin India says ‘Four Stars of Destiny’ unpublished, threatens legal action over circulating copies

Penguin Random House India on Monday issued a detailed clarification saying that it alone holds the publishing rights to Four Stars of Destiny, the forthcoming memoir of former Indian Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane, and that the book has not yet been released in any form.

The statement comes against the backdrop of a political controversy and an ongoing police probe into claims that a pre-print version of the memoir is circulating publicly.

“In light of recent public discourse and media reporting, Penguin Random House India would like to clarify that we hold the sole publishing rights for the book Four Stars of Destiny, a memoir by General Manoj Mukund Naravane, former Chief of the Indian Army. 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 publisher said in a post on X.



The company further warned that any version of the book currently in circulation would amount to a violation of its copyright and could invite legal action.

“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. Penguin Random House India shall be exercising remedies available in law against the illegal and unauthorised dissemination of the book,” the statement added.

It concluded by noting, “This statement is being issued to place the publisher's position on record.”

Political flashpoint in Parliament

The clarification follows a heated exchange in Parliament after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi referred to what he described as a “pre-print book” of the former Army chief during his speech on the motion of thanks to the President’s Address in the Lok Sabha last week.

Treasury benches objected strongly to the reference, triggering repeated adjournments before the House ultimately adopted the motion by voice vote amid opposition sloganeering.

Separately, Delhi Police has taken cognisance of claims circulating on social media platforms and news forums that a pre-print copy of Four Stars of Destiny is being shared publicly.

Officials said the Special Cell has registered a case related to the “purported leak/breach of a yet to be approved publication” and initiated an investigation into the alleged availability of the manuscript.