Penguin Random House, ex-Army Chief MM Naravane’s publisher, denies his memoir Four Stars of Destiny went into publication, warns against circulation; his first book, The Cantonment Conspiracy, is a military thriller
General (Retd.) Manoj Mukund Naravane's debut novel The Cantonment Conspiracy has climbed to the bestseller lists, riding the wave of intense public interest sparked by the controversy over his withheld memoir, Four Stars of Destiny, which created an uproar in the Parliament last week. As authorities and the publisher move to contain the spread of unauthorised copies of the unpublished book, including the PDF and epub versions, the fiction title continues to benefit from algorithmic redirection as well as organic searches.
Amazon India data shows The Cantonment Conspiracy holding strong positions: it ranks Number 2 in Military History, Number 5 in Mysteries, and Number 5 in Crime Fiction. The Kindle edition performs solidly with top spots like Number 3 in Military History, Number 12 in Crime, Thriller & Mystery, and Number 14 in History (Kindle Store). Customer ratings remain robust at 4.4 out of 5 from around 149 reviews, with readers talking about its authentic military details, suspenseful pacing, and insider portrayal of Army life in a garrison.
The 288-page fast-paced thriller, released in March 2025 by Ebury Press (an imprint of Penguin Random House), set in Western Uttar Pradesh, follows two young lieutenants — Rohit Verma, a third-generation officer, and Renuka Khatri, a trailblazer from the first batch of women cadets at the National Defence Academy — as they investigate an assault in the officers’ mess that leads to a series of murders.
Aided by a local village girl named Rehmat, the duo uncovers a deep-seated conspiracy with ties to past events, all while dealing with the complexities of modern military life, gender inclusivity, and the rigours of a court of inquiry. Priced at Rs 399 in paperback, it has seen no major promotional push recently, and the sales momentum appears driven by curious readers typing General Naravane book or similar queries, only to land on this available title instead of the elusive memoir, which has been removed from the lists of Penguin, Amazon, Flipkart and other platforms.
No copies of memoir published: Penguin
On the memoir front, Penguin Random House India issued an official statement on Monday (February 9), via social media, stating that it holds sole publishing rights to Four Stars of Destiny and that the book “has not gone into publication.” No copies — in print, digital, PDF, or any format — have been released, distributed, sold, or made available by the publisher, the statement clarified.
Also read: Has Naravane’s memoir been published? Online buying links vanish amid row
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday (February 10) claimed publisher Penguin Random House India is not telling the truth about Four Stars of Destiny not being published, citing a 2023 X post by General Naravane announcing the book as “available now.” Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Gandhi said the book appeared on Amazon and he trusts the former Army chief over the publisher, adding that either Naravane or Penguin must be lying. “I believe the Army chief. I don’t think he will lie,” he added.
Rahul Gandhi with a copy of MM Naravane’s autobiography, Four Stars of Destiny, outside the Parliament. File photo: PTI
Penguin has said any circulating material constitutes copyright infringement, and warned it would pursue legal remedies against unauthorised dissemination to set the record straight. Also on Monday, Delhi Police's Special Cell registered an FIR to investigate the alleged leak and social media circulation of pre-publication excerpts or full manuscripts. The probe examines potential breaches, including shared PDFs and typeset versions, though no arrests or detailed charges have been publicly disclosed yet.
The developments follow the February 2 Lok Sabha furore, when Rahul tried to quote from an essay in The Caravan magazine by strategic affairs analyst Sushant Singh, featuring extensive excerpts from the manuscript. These passages reportedly describe the chaotic early days of the 2020 eastern Ladakh standoff with China, including intelligence assessments of PLA build-ups, conversations with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on the night of August 31, 2020 (following Chinese tank movements near Rechin La), lack of clear political directives from Prime Minister Narendra Modi (“Jo uchit samjho karo/do as you deem fit”), rules restricting opening fire, the reactive nature of India's occupation of dominating heights at Kailash Range, and the creation of buffer zones and coordinated patrols that some view as concessions. India lost 20 soldiers in Galwan, the first combat deaths since the 1962 Indo-China war, raising questions over transparency, accountability, and civil-military relations.
An unlikely beneficiary
Rahul attempted to quote the essay while countering BJP MP Tejasvi Surya’s remarks on patriotism, holding up printed pages from the magazine and later displaying a copy of the book outside the House. He accused the government of suppressing it domestically while it was allegedly available abroad, vowing to hand a copy personally to PM Modi. Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, and others objected, citing parliamentary rules (including Rules 349 and 353 barring unverified or unsubstantiated references). The Speaker disallowed the quotes, leading to the pandemonium. Government members argued the excerpts were unverified, selectively presented, and inappropriate for the floor without official confirmation.
Also read: FIR filed over circulation of Gen Naravane's unpublished memoir
Hours after the session on February 2, searches revealed Four Stars of Destiny had become unavailable or delisted on major platforms like Amazon.in, Flipkart, and Penguin Random House India's site. No official statement explained the removal, whether due to publisher action, platform compliance with clearance protocols, or other factors, but the timing suggests pressure from the authorities. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defence has maintained silence on the review status, though rules require retired officers to seek approval for any content touching on classified operations or national security.
General Naravane, who served as India’s Chief of the Army Staff from December 2019 to April 2022, submitted the manuscript of his memoir to the Ministry of Defence ( rules require retired officers to seek approval for any content touching on classified operations or national security) for mandatory security clearance in 2024 and it has remained in limbo ever since, with no public release despite an initial planned launch around April 2024 (pre-orders were briefly listed and later cancelled). The Ministry of Defence has maintained silence on the review status so far.
Gen. Naravane himself has not commented directly on the latest controversy. In an October 2025 appearance at the Khushwant Singh Literature Festival in Kasauli, he described the manuscript as “still under review for more than a year,” adding with characteristic dry humour that it was “maturing, like aged wine — the longer it’s there, the more vintage and valuable it becomes.” He clarified that his role ended with submission; clearance was the publishers’ responsibility. While his memoir is unlikely to see the light of day anytime soon, his work of fiction has become an unlikely beneficiary.
(The Federal reached out to Penguin Random House for comment, but did not hear back from the publisher. This story will be updated after its response)
