The Delhi Police on Monday filed a first information report (FIR) at the Special Cell police station to launch a probe into the alleged leak and circulation of an unapproved and unpublished book by former Chief of Army Staff General Manoj M Naravane.According to a senior police officer, the FIR comes after the police took cognisance of information found on various online social media platforms and news forums claiming that pre-print copies of ‘Four Stars of Destiny’ are being circulated.“It was also reported that the necessary clearance for publication of this book is yet to be received from the relevant authorities. 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. Limited, is available on certain websites, and some online marketing platforms have displayed the finished book cover as if it is available for purchase,” said an officer.The officer further said in order to carry out a thorough investigation into this purported leak, breach of the yet-to-be-approved publication, a case had been registered and an investigation was being taken up.The police would now issue notices to social media platforms, including Meta and X, to take down the material and trace the origin of the user who first posted it, the officer said. Further, the police might issue notices to the e-commerce platforms selling the unpublished book.Uproar was witnessed in the Lok Sabha recently after Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi attempted to raise questions on India’s handling of China during the discussion on the President’s Address, prompting objections from the government and repeated interventions by the Speaker.What began as a response to BJP attacks on the Congress’s patriotism quickly escalated into a broader clash over national security, parliamentary rules, and the limits placed on the Opposition’s right to speak on sensitive foreign policy issues.General Naravane’s book has drawn attention for its reported disclosures on sensitive issues, including the 2020 India-China border standoff and the Agnipath recruitment scheme.The book is currently under review by the Ministry of Defence, with reports suggesting it reveals internal differences within the armed forces and policy-making circles, raising wider questions about disclosure norms for retired military officers.Meanwhile, Penguin Random House India (PRHI), the publisher of ‘Four Stars of Destiny’, a memoir by former Chief of Army Staff Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane, on Monday clarified that no copies of the book — either in print or digital format — have been published, distributed or sold.In a statement, the publisher said it holds the sole publishing rights for the memoir and emphasised that it has not yet gone into publication. It reiterated that no copies of the book, in print or digital form, have been made available to the public by Penguin Random House India.The publisher further stated that any copies currently in circulation, whether in whole or in part, and in any format — including print, digital or PDF, online or offline — constitute an infringement of PRHI’s copyright.Penguin Random House India added that it would exercise all remedies available under the law against the illegal and unauthorised dissemination of the book.