Mumbai, Oct 17 (IANS): A day after touching record high levels, the key Indian equity indices went into the red on Tuesday afternoon due to profit booking by the investors.

The 30-scrip Sensitive Index (Sensex) was trading 42.57 points or 0.13 per cent lower during afternoon trade.

The wider 50-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) was also trading 3.65 points or 0.04 per cent lower at 10,227.20 points.

The Sensex of the BSE, which opened at 32,654.41 points, was trading at 32,591.07 points (at 1.46 p.m.), lower by 42.57 points or 0.13 per cent from Monday's close at 32,633.64 points.

The Sensex touched a high of 32,675.21 points and a low of 32,556.74 points in the trade so far.

"The benchmark BSE Sensex retreated from record levels in early session on Tuesday as realty, auto, healthcare and metal stocks fell after participants booked profits. The wider Nifty of NSE too slipped from record high. Fresh weakness in the rupee against the dollar and continued foreign fund outflows dampened the sentiment," Dhruv Desai, Director and Chief Operating Officer of Tradebulls, told IANS.