Police sends notice to publisher over Naravane book publishing row

The notice was issued early on Wednesday. Police said they are trying to ascertain who leaked the unauthorised soft copies of the book

The Delhi Police Special Cell on Wednesday said they have issued a notice to Penguin Random House India in connection with circulation of the unpublished book of former Army chief General MM Naravane. Police said they have sought response over multiple issues related to the illegal circulation of the book in PDF format.

A senior police officer said a first information report (FIR) was lodged on Monday. (PTI file photo)

The unpublished memoir is at the centre of a row that has repeatedly disrupted proceedings of the Lok Sabha after Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi brought up excerpts from the book in Parliament on February 2.

The notice was issued early on Wednesday. Police said they are trying to ascertain who leaked the unauthorised soft copies of the book.

A senior police officer said a first information report (FIR) was lodged on Monday under sections of Official Secrets Act and charges of criminal conspiracy among other offences.

“We are checking what the publishing house was doing and how the book was available in public domain without approval. We have formally approached the Penguin Random House with a written notice” said the officer.

In a statement issued on Monday, Penguin Random House India said it holds exclusive publishing rights to the memoir and insisted that no copies have been released to the public.

“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 its statement.

The publisher also warned that any version currently in circulation — whether in print, PDF or online — will amount to copyright infringement.