Row over General Naravane’s memoir: In notice, Delhi Police seek these answers from Penguin Random House India

Police, sources said, also sought to know why the publisher did not contact the authorities complaining about the breach when it found out about the “leak”.

Sources said police also asked if the book was printed for pre-publication promotion without permission from the central government and the Army and how it reached Rahul Gandhi and other leaders.

A team from the Delhi Police Special Cell is working on the case. The investigation is also examining the alleged sale or distribution of pre-print copies in countries such as the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. It is possible that the leak originated abroad and later appeared on various hosting platforms, sources said.

Police sources said it is also suspected that copies may have been sent to e-commerce platforms for promotional purposes, and these platforms are also under investigation. Police suspect that information about the book may have been leaked through these sites as well.

According to police, posts and reports had claimed that a pre-print version of the book was being shared online even though mandatory clearances required for its publication had not yet been granted by relevant authorities.

“During verification, police found that a PDF copy of a typeset book bearing the same title was available on certain websites. The document appeared to have been prepared by M/s Penguin Random House India Pvt Limited. Additionally, some online marketing platforms were found to be displaying the finished book cover, suggesting that the book was available for purchase,” the Delhi Police had said in a statement earlier.

In a statement shared on X, the publisher had said, “… We wish to make it clear that the book has not gone into publication. No copies of the book — in print or digital form — have been published, distributed, sold or otherwise made available to the public by Penguin Random House India”.