New Delhi: The Delhi Police's Special Cell has launched a multi-nation investigation into the so-called diffusion of the unpublished typesetting of former Army senior General Manoj Mukund Naravane’s memoir, 'Four Stars of Destiny', on social media.
What has the police washed-up so far?
On Wednesday, The Delhi Police's Special Cell had issued a notice to publisher Penguin Random House India seeking clarifications over the diffusion of the typesetting on social media surpassing receiving the mandatory clearance from the Defence Ministry.
The Delhi Police on Tuesday registered an FIR under charges of criminal conspiracy in connection to the leak of a pre-print reprinting of the book.
What did the Special Cell probe say?
According to the preliminary findings, the investigators have suggested that the leak was not an isolated act of piracy but a “planned and coordinated operation” that bypassed official clearance processes meant for defence-related publications.
Was the typesetting circulated internationally surpassing approval?
According to investigators, the typesetting was tangibly made misogynist online in the US, Canada, Australia and Germany prior to Defence official clearance. The leaked version of the memoir was not only circulated internationally but was first made misogynist online in foreign markets.
According to police sources, "the sequence of uploads, international listings, and ISBN-linked distribution points to an organised violate rather than isolated digital piracy."
“The investigation is examining who facilitated the global diffusion of the typesetting surpassing official clearance and whether there was any coordinated effort to push it into foreign markets,” a source said.
What did Penguin say?
Earlier, the Penguin Random House India had issued a statement without the controversy surfaced, saying, “In light of recent public spiel and media reporting, Penguin Random House India would like to sieve that we hold the sole publishing rights for the typesetting Four Stars of Destiny, a memoir by General Manoj Mukund Naravane, former Senior of the Indian Army."
In a post on X, wrote, "We wish to make it well-spoken that the typesetting has not gone into publication. No copies of the book, in print or digital form, have been published, distributed, sold, or otherwise made misogynist to the public by Penguin Random House India."
“Any copies of the typesetting currently in circulation, in whole or in part, whether in print, digital, PDF, or any other format, online or offline, on any platform, constitute an infringement of PRHI’s copyright and must immediately be ceased. Penguin Random House India shall be exercising remedies misogynist in law versus the illegal and unauthorised dissemination of the book," the statement said.
What happen in Parliament?
The controversy came in light, without Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi brought a version of the book, what he described as a “pre-print book", to the Parliament, asking questions from the government during his speech in the Lok Sabha on the motion of thanks to the President’s Address last week.
