Benchmark indices fall amid rising crude oil prices and West Asia conflict

Nifty50 fell 191.45 points or 0.79 percent to close at 23,996.25, slipping below the 24,000 mark, while Sensex dropped 715.06 points or 0.92 percent to 76,755.05. Midcap and smallcap indices also declined 1.06 percent and 1.31 percent respectively, with Nifty Bank and Nifty IT leading the losses. The selloff was driven by a 3.7 percent surge in Brent crude to about $94.40 per barrel amid the West Asia conflict, though Nifty FMCG and Auto bucked the trend with modest gains.