LIVE: Sensex tanks over 100 points, Nifty below 9,850

The Sensex traded at 31,517.99 at 1203 hours, down 108.64 points, or 0.34 per cent.

The broader Nifty declined 34.75 points, or 0.35 per cent, to 9,837.85 at 1203 hours.

The 30-share BSE Sensex was down 162.02 points or 0.51 percent at 31464.61 and the 50-share NSE Nifty declined 50.80 points or 0.51 percent to 9,821.80.

The BSE 30-share benchmark after rising briefly to 31,693.59 at the outset, slipped back to quote lower by 59.12 points, or 0.18 per cent, to 31,567.51.

The gauge had fallen 797.13 points in the previous five sessions.

FMCG, consumer durables, banking and PSU banking were in the red, losing by up to 0.32 per cent.

The broader NSE Nifty too fell by 26.05 points, or 0.26 per cent, at 9,846.55.

Spot gold was nearly unchanged at $1,310.61 per ounce at 0339 GMT, not far from Monday`s high of $1,311.50, when it marked its biggest intra-day percentage gain since Sept. 7.
U.S. gold futures for December delivery rose 0.2 percent to $1,314.30 per ounce. 

The rupee struggled at a fresh 6- month low of 65.28 -- down 18 paise -- against the dollar today, faced with heavy demand for the American currency from importers and banks, as foreign capital rushed out.

Equity benchmarks opened flat on Tuesday post sharp plunge yesterday.

BSE Sensex was down 8.55 points at 31618.08 and tNSE Nifty gained 6.90 points at 9,879.50 in morning trade