Mumbai, April 5 (IANS): Negative global cues, along with profit booking and weak crude oil prices, plunged the Indian equity markets on Tuesday.

In the process, both the key indices of the Indian equity markets provisionally closed the day's trade deep in the red.

The wider 50-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) receded by 169 points or 2.18 percent, to 7,590 points.

The barometer 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the BSE, which opened at 25,372.44 points, provisionally closed at 24,851.62 points (at 3.30 p.m.) -- down 548.03 points or 2.16 percent from the previous close at 25,399.65 points.

The Sensex touched a high of 25,372.44 points and a low of 24,837.51 points during the intra-day trade.

The BSE market breadth favoured the bears -- with 1,620 declines and 888 advances.

In contrast, the barometer index had closed in the positive territory on Monday. It had ended Monday's trade with a gain of 130.01 points or 0.51 percent, while the Nifty inched up 46 points or 0.59 percent.