Mumbai, Dec 26: Indian benchmark indices opened flat with a mild negative bias on Friday, as markets are apparently in the consolidation phase amid lack of major cues.

As of 9.30 am, Sensex edged down 83 points, or 0.09 per cent to 85,325 and Nifty eased 17 points, or 0.06 per cent to 26,124.

Main broadcap indices outperformed benchmark indices in terms of gains, with the Nifty Midcap 100 advanced 0.35 per cent, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 added 0.27 per cent.

Cipla, Dr Reddys Labs and ONGC were among the major gainers in the Nifty Pack, while losers included Shriram Finance, Bajaj Finance, Tata Steel, Max Healthcare and TCS.

Among sectoral gainers, the Nifty Consumer Durables index was the top performer, rising 0.4 per cent, followed by Nifty Metal and Nifty Chemicals, which gained 0.3 per cent each.

The Nifty could extend its advance toward resistance levels at 26,202 and 26,330, while 26,000 is expected to provide near-term support.

With only four trading days left in 2025, what seemed to be a Santa rally appears to be fading as markets apparently consolidates without new triggers like a US-India trade deal, analysts said.

US GDP growth of 4.3 per cent in Q3 2025 is imparting resilience to the US market and the rising profitability of US companies, including AI ones, may prompt other FIIs, particularly fleet-footed hedge funds, to increase their investments there, they added.

Sustained buying by the cash rich DIIs will support the market and prevent a sharp pull back, market watchers said, adding that a market rally in early 2026 is likely, and valuation should be the top investment consideration.

Asia-Pacific markets traded higher in the morning session, with several indexes closed for the Boxing Day holiday

In Asian markets, China’s Shanghai index advanced 0.17 per cent, and Shenzhen edged up 0.31 per cent, Japan’s Nikkei added 0.99 per cent, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index gained 0.17 per cent. South Korea’s Kospi added 0.7 per cent.

The US markets ended mostly in the green zone on the last trading day, as Nasdaq advanced 0.22 per cent, the S&P 500 edged up 0.32 per cent, and the Dow moved up 0.6 per cent.

On December 24, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) sold equities worth Rs 1,721 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net buyers of equities worth Rs 2,381 crore.

Mumbai: experienced a refreshing winter nip on Friday morning, as clear skies, cooler winds and mild temperatures gave residents a pleasant start to the day. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said temperatures were expected to range between a minimum of around 18°C and a maximum of 33°C, making it one of the more comfortable winter days of the season.

However, the seemingly picture-perfect weather masked a growing environmental concern. A thin layer of haze hovered over large parts of the city, underlining Mumbai’s persistent struggle with air pollution. According to data from air quality monitoring platform AQI.in, the city’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at a worrying 277 in the early hours of Friday, placing it firmly in the ‘unhealthy’ category.

While the AQI showed marginal improvement compared to some of the extreme readings recorded in recent weeks, pollution levels remain dangerous, particularly for vulnerable groups such as children, senior citizens and people suffering from respiratory or cardiac conditions.

The deteriorating air quality is largely due to dust and fine particulate matter generated by Mumbai’s relentless infrastructure expansion. Ongoing government projects, including metro rail corridors, coastal road construction, flyovers, bridges and extensive road-widening works, combined with aggressive private real estate development, continue to release large volumes of dust into the atmosphere. Vehicular emissions during peak traffic hours further compound the problem.

Area-wise AQI data revealed stark contrasts across the city. The Wadala Truck Terminal emerged as the worst-affected zone, recording a staggering AQI of 384, categorised as ‘severe’. Such levels pose serious health risks even to otherwise healthy individuals. Chembur (332) and Worli (328) also reported severe air quality, while Bandra East and Deonar registered AQI readings of 324 and 321, respectively in the severe range.

Suburban regions fared slightly better, though air quality remained far from acceptable. Kandivali East and Borivali East recorded AQI levels of 143 and 157, while Borivali West stood at 167. Malad West (180) and Mulund West (183) were also placed in the ‘poor’ category, indicating widespread pollution across the metropolitan region.

For reference, AQI values between 0–50 are considered ‘good’, 51–100 ‘moderate’, 101–150 ‘poor’, 151–200 ‘unhealthy’, and readings above 200 are deemed ‘hazardous’. With Mumbai’s air quality consistently crossing unhealthy thresholds, concerns are mounting over long-term public health impacts as winter progresses and pollution episodes become more frequent.

Palghar, Maharashtra, Dec 25: Pelhar Police have arrested one accused involved in an ATM card swapping fraud and recovered cash and a vehicle used in the crime, successfully cracking the case within 24 hours of its registration.

The incident occurred on December 21, 2025, around 5:00 pm, when the complainant, Ramashankar Devkinandan Tiwari (53), a resident of Nalasopara East, visited an Axis Bank ATM at Vasai Phata to withdraw cash.

According to police, three unidentified men entered the ATM booth and engaged the complainant in conversation, claiming that their transaction had failed. Taking advantage of the distraction, the accused allegedly swapped the complainant’s ATM card through sleight of hand and handed him a different Canara Bank ATM card before leaving the spot.

The accused later used the complainant’s ATM card at another location to withdraw ₹50,000 from his bank account, thereby committing financial fraud.

Following a complaint lodged by the victim, Pelhar Police registered a case on December 22, 2025, under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

During the investigation, the Crime Detection Unit examined CCTV footage from the ATM and nearby areas, which revealed that the accused used a Maruti Suzuki WagonR car.

Tracing the vehicle’s ownership and conducting technical analysis led the police to apprehend the accused, identified as Mohammad Afzal Mohammad Aslam (25), a resident of Ulwe, Navi Mumbai.

During interrogation, the accused confessed to committing the offence along with two accomplices. Police recovered ₹40,000 in cash from the accused, part of the defrauded amount, and seized the car used in the crime. The case was solved within 24 hours of registration.

The search for the remaining two absconding accused is ongoing. The arrested accused has been remanded to police custody until December 27, 2025.