DIVYA DELHI: As volatility lowered market optimism, benchmark stock indices fell sharply on Thursday.The S&P BSE Sensex slid 1,062.22 points, or 1.45%, to 72,404.17, and the NSE Nifty50 fell 1.55% to 21957.50.“Investors seem hesitant of joining the markets before the elections (results) and many are sealing their gains by booking profits," Wright Research founder and fund manager Sonam Srivastava told Reuters.The volatility index reached 18.20 for the eleventh straight session, its highest level since October 2022.Twelve of the thirteen key sectors fell, with construction firm L&T down 6% on the Nifty50 due to lower revenue growth projections.State Bank of India finished 1% higher after a record loan growth-driven profit.After surpassing profit forecasts on Wednesday, Hero MotoCorp drove the Nifty Auto index 0.8%.Asian Paints fell 5% after missing fourth-quarter profit.The small-cap and mid-cap indices fell 2.8% and 1.9%, respectively.