Delhi Police Registers FIR Over Circulation of Ex-Army Chief Naravane’s Unpublished Memoir, Four Stars of Destiny, After Parliament Row

Key Points

The Delhi Police, on 9 February 2026, registered an FIR over the alleged circulation of former Army Chief General MM Naravane’s unpublished memoir, Four Stars of Destiny. This follows reports that a pre-print copy of the book is available online without the official clearance.

The book has not yet received approval from competent authorities for publication. Police sources said information regarding the alleged leak surfaced on social media platforms and online news forums. Following this, Delhi Police conducted a preliminary investigation.

“Upon verification, it was found that a PDF copy of a type-set book with the same title and apparently prepared by M/s Penguin Random House India Pvt Ltd is available on certain websites,” the police said in a statement, “Some online marketing platforms have also displayed the finished book cover as if it is available for purchase.”

Considering the sensitivity of the matter, particularly in view of the author’s former position as Chief of the Army Staff, the police registered a case and transferred it to the Special Cell of the Delhi Police. Officials said the Special Cell would investigate the alleged leak or breach involving the unpublished manuscript.

Investigators are examining how the manuscript was leaked, who uploaded the material online, and whether any organised network was involved in circulating the unauthorised copy. Police are also scrutinising digital trails linked to the PDF file and coordinating with online platforms to trace the origin and spread of the document.

India Today reported that the FIR was registered hours after it highlighted how Rahul Gandhi had accessed an unpublished copy of the book that was not meant to go to press without clearance from the Ministry of Defence. According to the report, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had stated that the book “does not exist”.

See Also: Rajnath Singh, US War Secretary Hegseth Sign 10-Year ‘Framework for the US-India Major Defence Partnership’

What Caused the Controversy Around Naravane’s Memoir?

The development comes amid a political controversy linked to the Four Stars of Destiny, after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi attempted to quote excerpts from the unpublished book in Lok Sabha. The excerpts were reported in Caravan magazine. The incident occurred during a motion of thanks on the President’s address, and followed a speech by BJP MP Tejasvi Surya, in which he attacked the Congress party.

In his rebuttal, Gandhi attempted to quote the memoir, saying it was a matter of national security. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh vehemently objected to the move, and was backed by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, Home Minister Amit Shah, and other MPs in the Treasury Benches. Speaker Om Birla ruled that the excerpts could not be read in Parliament, as they had not been verified and broke the rules of the House. This led to chaos in the House.

The excerpt itself described a border conflict between Indian and Chinese troops in eastern Ladakh, 2020: On 31 August 2020, Chinese troops and tanks were marching up Kailash Ridge towards the Indian position along the Line of Actual Control. When alerted of the development, Naravane attempted to contact Rajnath Singh for orders on how to proceed. After a significant delay, Singh called Naravane back. He said that he had contacted PM Modi, who had told him to relay the message: “Jo uchit samjho, who karo” – do whatever you deem appropriate.

Gandhi had said in Lok Sabha that he was bringing up the excerpt as a matter of national security – he wanted to highlight the BJP government’s attitude towards external security.

The incident led to sharp political reactions and disruptions in Parliament. Proceedings were repeatedly interrupted over the following days, eventually resulting in the suspension of eight MPs for the remainder of the ongoing Budget session. The Opposition has since filed a no-confidence motion against Om Birla, for disallowing the Leader of Opposition to speak, while allegedly favouring the ruling coalition.

The political fallout intensified after Rahul Gandhi was seen holding up a purported copy of the book in the Parliament complex. Following the disruptions, Gandhi claimed that PM Modi did not come to the Lok Sabha to reply to the discussion on the motion of thanks to the President’s address because he was “scared” of the issue related to the former Army Chief’s book.

See Also: India & China undertake military-level discussions to tackle routine issues along the LAC in Ladakh

Developments Since Delhi Police’s FIR

The Delhi Police have clarified that the focus of the investigation remains on the alleged unauthorised circulation of the unpublished manuscript. Officials said the Special Cell is examining whether the leak originated from within the publication process or from external sources, and whether the circulation involved coordinated dissemination.

In a statement, Penguin Random House India (PRHI), the publisher of the book, said that it held the exclusive publishing rights to the book and that it had not been published in any form. “Any copies of the book currently in circulation,” it further clarified, “constitutes an infringement of PRHI's copyright and must immediately be ceased.”

Reacting to the FIR and other developments, Rahul Gandhi spoke on the issue outside Parliament on 10 February 2026. He questioned the publishing house’s claim that the book has not been published, citing a 2023 tweet by Naravane which provided a link to the book. “The point I am making is – either Mr Naravane is lying or it is Penguin which is lying,” Gandhi told reporters, “I don’t think the former Army chief will lie.”

Gandhi added that despite PRHIs assertions, the book seems to have been promoted in the past and is even available for sale online. “I believe Naravane ji has made certain statements in his book which are inconvenient for the government of India and the Prime Minister of India,” he added, “Obviously, you have to decide if Penguin or the former Army chief is telling the truth.”

No arrests have been reported in the case so far. Police officials said further action would depend on the findings of the digital investigation and the identification of individuals or entities responsible for uploading or sharing the unauthorised material.

The case marks a formal legal response to the alleged leak of Four Stars of Destiny, as authorities continue to investigate how the unpublished book entered the public domain and whether established clearance procedures were violated.

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