Unpublished or Leaked? Row over General Naravane’s memoir | Explained

Penguin Random House has issued multiple clarifications, asserting that it alone holds the publishing rights and that no printed or digital copies have been released.

A controversy has emerged over the publication status of Four Stars of Destiny, the unpublished memoir of former Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane. While the publisher, Penguin Random House, maintains that the book has neither been printed nor officially published, copies of the book and its excerpts have reportedly surfaced, prompting questions about how unpublished material entered the public domain.

The matter has now escalated to a police investigation, with the Delhi Police Special Cell registering an FIR to probe the alleged circulation of the book without mandatory government approval.

In today’s episode of DNA, Rahul Sinha, Managing Editor of Zee News, conducted a detailed analysis of the conflicting claims surrounding the book. The investigation highlighted that publication of the memoir requires prior clearance from the Ministry of Defence, which has not yet been granted. Despite this, excerpts have appeared in magazines and the book has been seen with political leaders, raising concerns about a possible breach of established procedures.

#DNAमित्रों | #DNA #DNAWithRahulSinha #MMNaravane #Book #RahulGandhi @RahulSinhaTV pic.twitter.com/65Yuqw4r0N — Zee News (@ZeeNews) February 10, 2026

Penguin Random House has issued multiple clarifications, asserting that it alone holds the publishing rights and that no printed or digital copies have been released. The publisher explained that pre-order listings on e-commerce platforms are a standard industry practice and do not amount to publication, which is defined as availability for retail sale. Checks on online platforms showed the book listed with details such as page count, but marked as currently unavailable.