Sensex down 245pts; Bajaj Auto, REL drag

The Sensex is now down 245 points at 17,847.

The NSE Nifty is down 83 points at 5,198.

Bajaj Auto has slumped nearly 5% to Rs 2,264. Reliance Energy has plunged 4.4% to Rs 2,014, and Hindustan Unilever has tumbled over 4% to Rs 199.

ITC has shed 3.8% at Rs 194. ICICI Bank has slipped over 3% to Rs 1,183.

Reliance has dropped 3.5% to Rs 2,510. ONGC and Tata Motors have declined 2.3% each to Rs 995 and Rs 700, respectively.

Reliance Communications, NTPC and Mahindra & Mahindra have slipped around 2% each to Rs 629, Rs 207 and Rs 688, respectively.

Maruti has shed 1.7% at Rs 843. Hindalco and Cipla have dropped 1.3% each to Rs 177 and Rs 188, respectively.

Grasim and Larsen & Toubro are down 1% each at Rs 2,969 and Rs 3,735, respectively.

Tata Steel has moved up 1.7% to Rs 728.

Bharti Airtel and Ambuja Cements have gained 1.3% each at Rs 863 and Rs 119, respectively.

Out of 2,666 stocks traded so far, 1,763 have declined, 853 have advanced and 50 are unchanged.