Frenzied profit-booking sparked by a weak trend in Asia saw the BSE benchmark Sensex fall below the crucial 20,000 points level on Tuesday, while the NSE’s broad-based Nifty index also sunk beneath the magic 6,000 marker as metal and IT stocks took a beating.

While the Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex fell by 417.93 points to 19,991.76, the broad-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty was down by 132.95 points at 5,988.65 at 1200 hours.

After a weak opening, selling pressure gathered momentum after leading Asian stock indices, led by Hong Kong and Japan, nosedived on concerns over the deepening Irish debt crisis.

The regional index for Asian markets fell for the third straight session on Tuesday on speculation that governments will take further steps to cool down inflation, coupled with a decline in raw material prices.