Naravane memoir leak: Delhi Police questions publishing house team, probes conspiracy angle

New Delhi: Delhi Police questioned representatives of Penguin India as part of its investigation into the alleged leak of the unpublished memoir of retired Army chief General M M Naravane, and is probing the possibility of a coordinated attempt to bypass mandatory clearances from the defence ministry, sources said on Thursday.

The Special Cell of Delhi Police had earlier issued a notice to the publisher seeking responses to a set of around 15 questions and also visited their office in Gurugram on Wednesday, they said.

On Thursday, company representatives were called in for questioning. They provided responses to some queries and sought time to answer others, sources said.

Police said the answers are being analysed and further questioning of management and publishing representatives are likely.

Investigators have invoked sections related to criminal conspiracy in the existing FIR, suspecting that the leak may not have been accidental.

The probe is focused on the alleged sale or distribution of pre-print copies in countries including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia, sources said.

It is suspected that the first leaks were allegedly uploaded on .io domain extensions linked to the British Ocean territory, following which they appeared on several other hosting platforms, an investigator said.

The digital trail is being examined to establish the origin and pattern of dissemination, he added.

Police are also analysing the ISBN (International Standard Book Number) -- a unique 13-digit identifier assigned to books -- which was visible on the leaked versions. Officials said the publisher is likely to be quizzed on how the ISBN-linked versions surfaced online before official publication.

The investigators will also examine the timing of the publisher's statement on microblogging site X.

"The publisher will be asked why their statement was issued only after the FIR was registered and why the police were not approached immediately after the leak came to light," a senior police officer said.

The case pertains to the alleged circulation of a PDF version of Naravane's unpublished memoir across social media and online platforms before receiving mandatory clearances for publication.

Police had earlier said a typeset PDF bearing the same title was found on certain websites, while some online platforms were allegedly displaying the finished book cover, suggesting availability for purchase.

The FIR was registered earlier this week after allegations surfaced about unauthorised dissemination of the manuscript. The controversy intensified after excerpts from the memoir were read out in the Lok Sabha by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, triggering a political row.

In its earlier statement, Penguin Random House India had said that the book has not gone into publication and that no copies, either print or digital, have been released, distributed or sold by the company.