Mumbai, Feb 12 (IANS): Ahead of the release of crucial inflation data, a benchmark index of Indian equities markets was trading in the red, it was down 83 points or 0.29 percent in the post afternoon trade session Thursday.

Healthy buying was observed in automobile, information technology (IT) and healthcare stocks. However, bank, metal and oil and gas sectors came under heavy selling pressure.

The 30-scrip Sensitive Index (Sensex) of the S&P Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 28,650.25 points, was trading at 28,451.06 points (at 12.55 p.m.), down 82.91 points or 0.29 percent from the previous day's close at 28,533.97 points.

The Sensex has touched a high of 28,685.88 points and a low of 28,406.25 points in the trade so far.

The S&P BSE automobile index surged by 177.16 points, followed by IT index which was up 77.10 points and healthcare index was higher by 67.30 points.

However, S&p BSE bank index was down 175.97 points, metal index got augmented by 92.73 points and oil and gas index was lower by 78.18 points.

The wider 50-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) was also trading in the red. It was down 23 points or 0.27 percent at 8,604.40 points.