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Benchmark share indices closed near their day's lows because of heightened political tensions between Russia and Ukraine.
Further, the Russian benchmark equity index MICEX was down nearly 10% and the Russian central bank hiked key lending rate by 150 basis points to 7% after the rouble plunged to an all-time low against the US dollar.
At close, the 30-share Sensex was down 195 points at 20,925 and the 50-share Nifty was down 59 points at 6,218.(Provisional)
