Mumbai, Jan. 13 -- Domestic equity benchmarks closed lower on Tuesday after an early rebound fizzled out, leaving markets bruised by heavy intraday selling and fragile sentiment.

The BSE Sensex slid as much as 995 points from the day's high, while the Nifty 50 dropped 296 points as selling pressure intensified through the session. The Nifty, which touched an intraday high of 25,899.80 in early trade, slipped below the 25,750 mark by the close. Consumer durables and pharmaceutical stocks were among the worst hit.

The decline was driven largely by profit-taking in heavyweight stocks after the recent rally, with investors choosing to lock in gains amid uncertain global cues. Rising crude oil prices added to the pressure, stoking concerns o...