The Special Cell of the Delhi Police on Thursday questioned Penguin Random House India officials in connection with the alleged circulation of unpublished memoir of former Army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane, said officials. The development comes a day after the police issued a notice to publisher and sought their response over the alleged leak of the unpublished book.
During the questioning, Penguin Random House India officials sought sometime to reply to some of the questions raised by the Delhi Police Special Cell. The Special Cell will now analyse to the responses and will continue its probe regarding the matter.
Row over Naravane's book
The row over the former Army chief's memoir "Four Stars of Destiny" erupted during Parliament Budget Session after Congress MP Rahul Gandhi cited an extract published by a magazine, attacking the government over the 2020 India-China standoff that claimed lives of 20 Indian soldiers, including a Colonel-rank officer.
The government said the extract cannot be cited, as the book is yet to be published, leading to a massive controversy. Following this, the Delhi Police Special Cell registered a first information report (FIR) under relevant sections.
Penguin Random House India issues clarification
Amidst all the controversy, Penguin Random House India has issued a clarification and said that the memoir has not gone into publication. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the publishers said that "no copies, in print or digital form," were published, distributed or sold.
"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," it said.
Later, Naravane shared the publisher's post and said "this is the status of the book."