An Unpublished Storm: Delhi Police Probes Leaks from Gen. Naravane's Memoir

Well, here's a story that certainly adds a bit of intrigue to the publishing world! The Delhi Police have officially stepped into the literary arena, sending a rather pointed notice to Penguin Random House India. And why, you ask? It's all swirling around the much-anticipated, yet currently 'unpublished,' memoir of none other than former Army Chief General M.M. Naravane.

You see, a lawyer named Advocate Gautam Kumar wasn't too pleased. He lodged a complaint, alleging that certain snippets – juicy ones, it seems – from General Naravane's upcoming book, tentatively titled "Four Stars of Destiny," had found their way into the public domain via 'The Print.' Now, the kicker here is that the book, according to the General himself, isn't even finalized. It's still very much a draft, a work in progress, not cleared for release. So, the question naturally arises: how did these excerpts get out?

The core of the complaint is pretty serious. We're talking about accusations that these leaked portions contain sensitive, even classified, information. Think political-military dealings, the nitty-gritty of the Ladakh disengagement, the rollout of the Agniveer scheme, the crucial appointment of the Chief of Defence Staff, and even details about military procurement. If these allegations hold water, then publishing such content, especially from an "unpublished" manuscript, could very well be seen as a breach of national security. It brings the Official Secrets Act squarely into the conversation, which is no small matter, let me tell you.

General Naravane, to his credit, quickly took to Twitter to clarify his position. He stated quite plainly that his book is still in its draft stages. He hasn't given the final nod, hasn't approved the manuscript for release, and any excerpts floating around in the media are, by his account, unauthorized and purely speculative. It paints a picture, doesn't it, of a renowned figure whose personal reflections are suddenly caught in a very public and potentially sensitive leak?

Penguin Random House India had previously indicated that "Four Stars of Destiny" was slated for release sometime in January 2023. But with the police now involved, things have clearly taken an unexpected turn. The notice sent to Penguin's managing director isn't just a casual inquiry; it's a formal request for detailed information about the memoir, its current publication status, and crucially, the source of these alleged leaks. They want to know the who, what, and how of it all.

Interestingly, this isn't entirely new territory for the Indian military establishment or its former chiefs. There have been instances before where memoirs from high-ranking officials, like former Army Chief Gen V.K. Singh's book, have faced their fair share of scrutiny and controversy. It just goes to show that when you've served at the highest echelons of power, your words, even those intended for a book, carry immense weight and can stir up quite the storm. For now, we'll have to wait and see how this particular chapter unfolds for General Naravane, Penguin, and the Delhi Police.