Mumbai, Aug. 27 -- Indian benchmark equity indices ended lower on Thursday, with the Sensex falling 539 points and Nifty declining 0.48 per cent, as expiry-led volatility and continued uncertainty over a diplomatic breakthrough in the Middle East weighed on market sentiment.

The BSE Sensex closed at 76,933.59, down 539.35 points or 0.70 per cent, while the NSE Nifty 50 settled at 24,090.85, declining 116.90 points or 0.48 per cent.

Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments Limited, said markets are likely to remain range-bound in the near term amid expiry-related volatility and geopolitical uncertainty.

"Expiry-led volatility and the lack of a diplomatic breakthrough in the Middle East continue to keep markets range-bound in the...