Mumbai/IBNS, Jan. 8 -- Indian equity benchmarks closed sharply lower on Thursday, with the BSE Sensex plunging over 780 points and the NSE Nifty 50 settling below the 25,900 mark, as heavy selling pressure triggered a bloodbath on Dalal Street, media reports said.

The Sensex slumped 780.18 points to close at 84,180.96, while the Nifty fell 263.90 points to end at 25,876.85.

Among sectoral indices, Nifty Metal tanked 3.40 per cent, Nifty Oil and Gas slid 2.84 per cent, while Nifty IT declined 2 per cent, reflecting intense selling across key sectors.

Heavyweight stocks such as Reliance Industries, TCS and Tech Mahindra dragged the benchmarks lower, mirroring weak investor sentiment.

Amid the widespread losses, ICICI Bank, Bajaj Finance...