The animals are the latest exotic fauna to be smuggled into the country, possibly to be used as pets. Draft legislation would close loopholes in the roaring wildlife trade.
The practice, employed against at least three journalists in the restive region, is being used to limit free speech and chill news reporting, activists say.
The agency has calculated that 15 million people have died as a result of the pandemic, far more than earlier estimates, but has yet to release those numbers.
India, heavily dependent on Russian weapons, has long tried not to take sides between Moscow and Washington. It has refrained from denouncing Russia’s invasion or imposing sanctions.