Delhi Police Interrogates Penguin India Over Leaked General Naravane Memoir
The Delhi Police Special Cell has conducted a detailed questioning of the team from Penguin India as part of its ongoing investigation into the leak of the unpublished memoir of former army chief General MM Naravane (retd). According to sources, the police are meticulously studying the responses provided and plan to re-question both the management and publishing representatives in the near future.
Suspected Coordinated Effort to Bypass Defence Clearance
Authorities suspect that the leak was a coordinated effort designed to circumvent the mandatory clearance from the Ministry of Defence. In response, the Special Cell has invoked the section pertaining to "hatching a criminal conspiracy" within the existing First Information Report (FIR). Earlier, the police had issued a formal notice to Penguin Random House India, demanding answers to a specific set of questions related to the incident.
International Scope of the Police Probe
The police investigation is currently focused on the alleged sale or distribution of the pre-print copy in several countries, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. An investigator revealed, "The initial leaks were allegedly uploaded on .io domain extensions, which are associated with the British Ocean territory. Subsequently, these files made their way to numerous other hosting platforms."
Analysis of ISBN and Publisher's Delayed Response
Police are analyzing the International Standard Book Number (ISBN), a 13-digit identifier visible on the leaked versions of the book, and intend to question the publishers about its presence. A senior officer stated, "The publishers will also be questioned as to why their statement on X came only after the registration of the FIR and why they did not approach the police immediately after the leak became apparent." The officer emphasized that the probe is still in its initial stages.
Background of the FIR and Social Media Findings
Previously, the police filed an FIR concerning the unauthorized release of the book's pre-print copy. This action was taken after cognizance of information found on social media, which claimed that the book was being circulated without proper clearance from authorities. Upon verification, a PDF copy of the book was discovered on certain websites, and some online platforms displayed the book cover as if it were available for purchase. According to police reports, this PDF copy appeared to have been prepared by Penguin Random House India.
Publisher's Clarification and Political Fallout
Penguin Random House India issued a clarification on X, asserting that it holds the exclusive publishing rights for the book and has not yet published it in any form. The statement read, "We wish to make it clear that the book did not go into publication. No copies of the book - in print or digital form - were published, distributed, sold, or otherwise made available to the public by Penguin Random House India." The controversy has escalated into a political row in Parliament, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi quoting from the book and alleging that the government is obstructing discussion on the matter.
