Mumbai, Mar 19 (IANS): Negative global cues, coupled with heavy selling pressure in metals, banking, consumer durables and oil and gas stocks, dragged the key Indian equity indices lower on Monday, with the Sensex slipping below the 33,000-mark.

According to market observers, investors were cautious ahead of the US Federal Reserve's meet on March 20-21.

The wider Nifty50 of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) fell below the 10,100-mark to provisionally close at 10,094.20 points -- down 100.95 points or 0.99 per cent from its previous session's close.

The barometer 30-scrip Sensitive Index (Sensex) of the BSE, which opened at 33,268.97 points, closed lower by 252.88 points or 0.76 per cent at 32,923.12 points.

The Sensex touched a high of 33,275.79 points and a low of 32,856.54 points during the intra-day trade.

The BSE market breadth was bearish with 2,183 declines and 567 advances.

On Friday, the benchmark indices closed lower on broad-based selling even as weak global cues continued to mar investors' sentiments.

The NSE Nifty50 declined by 165 points or 1.59 per cent to close at 10,195.15 points, while the Sensex closed at 33,176 points -- down 509.54 points or 1.51 per cent from the previous session's close.