Mumbai, June 3 -- The domestic equity benchmarks traded with major losses in mid-afternoon trade pressured by a sharp rise in crude oil prices and growing geopolitical uncertainty in the Middle East. Investor sentiment remained subdued amid concerns over the status of ceasefire negotiations between the United States and Iran, which have fueled volatility in global energy markets and pushed crude oil prices higher.

The Nifty traded below 23,450 mark. Media shares declined after advancing in the past two consecutive trading sessions.

At 14:30 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex declined 293.37 points or 0.39% to 74,356.47. The Nifty 50 index fell 56.86 points or 0.24% to 23,426.50.

In the broader market, the BSE 150 MidCap Index...