Sensex plunges 233.50 points in pre-noon session as rupee dips further

A benchmark index of Indian equities markets was trading at 1.20 percent or 233.50 points down during the pre-noon session Monday as the rupee hit a record low of Rs.61.21 against the dollar.

Almost all the sectors were trading in red, except technology, media and entertainment (TECK), IT and healthcare, which inched up marginally.

The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the S&P Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 19,418.98 points, was trading at 19,262.32 points in the pre-noon session, down 233.50 points or 1.20 percent from its Friday's close at 19,495.82 points.

The Sensex touched a high of 19,422.69 points and a low of 19,185.92 points in the pre-noon trade.

The S&P BSE TECK index move up by 27.42 points, the IT index inched up by 30.05 points and the healthcare index crawled up by 27.75 points, while the banking index plunged 215.91 points, the auto index plummeted 215.71 points, the metals index dipped 128.74 points, the public sector undertakings (PSU) index nosedived 124.55 points and the oil and gas index dropped 165.48 points.

The wider 50-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) was also trading 1.31 percent or 76.65 points down at 5,791.25 points.