Global cues, caution ahead of F&O expiry pull equity indices lower
Mumbai, Sep 27 : The key equity indices slipped into the red for the second consecutive session on Thursday as investors turned cautious ahead of the expiry of September futures and options (F&O) contracts.
Weak global cues also weighed on the Indian market, analysts said. Globally, the markets were subdued after the US Federal Reserve raised its key interest rate by 0.25 per cent for the third time in 2018 bringing it to the 2-2.25 per cent range.
Although the Indian indices had opened on a positive note, they could not hold on to the gains for long.
Sector-wise, almost all the sectors, led by finance, banking and capital goods, came under selling pressure on Thursday. However, TECK (technology, entertainment and media) and IT stocks gained.
Index-wise, the Nifty50 on the National Stock Exchange closed at 10,977.55 points, lower 76.25 points or 0.69 per cent from its previous close.
The BSE Sensex, which had opened at 36,691.93 points, closed at 36,324.17 points, down 218.10 points or 0.60 per cent from its previous close of 36,542.27 points.
It touched an intra-day high of 36,711.62 points and a low of 36,238.23 points.
Major Asian markets closed on a mixed note, while European indices like DAX and CAC 40 traded in the red, Deepak Jasani, Head of Retail Research at HDFC Securities said.
On the currency front, the Indian rupee closed at 72.59 per US dollar, two paise stronger from its previous close of 72.61 per greenback. Rupee appreciated marginally as the government on Wesnesday raised import duties on various items in order to narrow down the current account deficit and arrest the fall of Indian currency.
Investment-wise, provisional data with the exchanges showed that foreign institutional investors bought stocks worth Rs 552.44 crore and domestic institutional investors sold stocks worth Rs 186.69 crore.
The top Sensex gainers were: Tata Consultancy Services, up 2.16 per cent at Rs 2,187.80; Coal India, up 1.39 per cent at Rs 276.30; Power Grid, up 0.93 per cent at Rs 194.80; Infosys, up 0.88 per cent at Rs 724.15; and HDFC Bank, up 0.54 per cent at Rs 1,977.95 per share.
On the other hand, major Sensex losers were: Yes Bank, down 9.14 per cent at Rs 203.20; Tata Motors (DVR), down 3.69 per cent at Rs 118.75; Maruti Suzuki, down 3.68 per cent at Rs 7,556.05; Tata Motors, down 3.32 per cent at Rs 225.55; and Axis Bank, down 2.79 per cent at Rs 598.70 per share.
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Conflicting claims emerge over former Ashoka University missing student as parents seek probe
Gurugram/New Delhi: A case involving a former Ashoka University student has drawn attention after her parents alleged she went missing and sought a probe into an alleged network, while court records indicate that the woman had left home voluntarily and sought legal protection to live independently.
According to The Print, the parents, who are both academics, have approached the Haryana State Commission for Women, alleging that their daughter was manipulated and used by university officials. They have requested a probe by the National probe Agency and have named multiple individuals, including academic members, researchers, and students, in their complaints.
However, the university stated that the woman ceased to be a student in May 2023 and that its instructors and staff have no participation in the situation.
According to documentation in the case, the woman, who was 22 at the time, left her Rohtak home on October 24, 2023. In her written communication with police officers and the station house officer in Sonipat, she stated that she had departed on her own accord, alleging years of physical and emotional abuse at home and demanding secrecy regarding her location.
She subsequently recorded a statement before a magistrate under provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure. She affirmed her decision to live independently and in later complaints, she alleged continued attempts by her family to contact her and sought police protection.
Court records from the Delhi High Court show that she appeared in person before the court in May 2024 and stated that she wished to choose her own way of life and did not want to interact with her family. The court noted her statement and recorded that she was a major acting of her own volition.
In a subsequent order, the court noted that she had been provided police protection since November 2023 and was residing independently, granting her liberty to approach the court again if required.
The parents, meanwhile, have maintained that their daughter was a meritorious student and alleged that she was traced earlier to premises linked to university staff. They also raised concerns over financial transactions and a name change, which they claim point to a larger network.
At the centre of their allegations is Bittu Kaveri Rajaraman, an associate professor at the university. No response has been issued by the individuals named in the complaint so far.
After the matter was taken up by the women’s commission, chairperson Renu Bhatia said the panel may recommend a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation.
During the hearings, a lawyer claiming to represent the woman arrived before the commission even though she had not been summoned and the commission has asked for her personal appearance.
