Delhi Police Special Cell has intensified its investigation into the alleged leak related to the memoir of former Army Chief General M M Naravane. Representatives of Penguin Random House India are being questioned, and legal aspects of the matter are under examination.
The memoir, which has not yet been published, has drawn attention following reports of an alleged leak. The matter is being examined beyond a potential publishing lapse, with authorities also probing possible conspiracy, procedural violations, and issues linked to national security.
The Special Cell has questioned representatives of Penguin Random House India to determine whether sensitive portions of the manuscript were deliberately made public without the mandatory approval of the Ministry of Defence.
According to sources, the Special Cell had earlier issued a notice to Penguin India seeking responses to approximately 15 key questions. These questions relate to manuscript security, digital access, internal circulation, and the circumstances under which content may have been leaked.
On Wednesday, a Special Cell team visited the concerned office of Penguin India in Gurugram. Company representatives were subsequently called for formal questioning. Officials stated that while some queries were addressed immediately, additional time has been sought to provide detailed responses on several important points.
Police said the initial responses are being analysed. If required, further questioning may extend to senior management officials and members of the editorial team.
Amid the controversy, Penguin Random House India issued a public statement clarifying that General M M Naravane’s memoir has not yet been published. The company stated that no printed copy has been released in the market and no digital version has been issued.
The company further said that no copy of the book has been released, distributed, or sold through any medium. It asserted that if any content has appeared publicly, it did not originate from its official publishing channels.
Investigating agencies are examining all technical and procedural aspects before accepting the claim in full.
General M M Naravane’s tenure as Chief of Army Staff included events described as sensitive and strategically significant for the Indian Army, including the standoff with China along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh.
Given the likelihood that the memoir may contain details of military and diplomatic developments from that period, prior approval from the Ministry of Defence is required before publication of books authored by former military chiefs.
Such approval is intended to ensure that no sensitive information, strategic detail, or fact relating to national security is made public. Publication of such material without authorization may constitute a serious legal offence.
Legal experts have stated that if it is established that excerpts of the memoir were leaked without authorized permission, the matter could be examined under the Official Secrets Act.
Under the Act, unauthorized disclosure of information that could harm national security, sovereignty, or military interests constitutes an offence. Police are therefore examining not only the alleged leak but also whether there was any premeditated conspiracy.
The Special Cell is also investigating how the alleged excerpts emerged and at what level. Authorities are examining whether the leak resulted from an internal breach or external interference.
Given that manuscripts are often stored in multiple formats and on cloud-based systems, issues relating to cyber security and access control are also under scrutiny. Police are seeking to determine how many individuals had access to the draft manuscript and whether that access was misused.
