As the Sensex went into a tailspin, losing 285 points intra-day trading onTuesday, as many as 56 scrips hit the 12 per cent downward circuit filterlimit on the BSE. In another 96 counters on the BSE, the 4 per cent downwardlimit was relaxed after the stipulated half-an-hour cooling priod.

However, the volumes in the market were low despite the steps to enhanceliquidity by lowering the circuit filter limits.

On the BSE, total turnover was at Rs 2,455 crore against the recent dailyaverage of around Rs 3,000 crore. On the NSE, the corresponding figure wasaround the Rs 3,200 level, against Rs 3,500 crore daily average.

According to dealers, a falling market with low volumes points towards themarkets' pessimism.

``This indicates more players are interested in selling at the currentlevels and buyers are less. Unless some major buying comes in, we are notexpecting any revival in the market's sentiment,'' said the dealer.

On the BSE, the scrips which were down between 11.5 per cent and 12 per centwere Satyam Computer, Zee Tele, HFCL, Silverline, Pentamedia, DigitalEquipment, Rolta, Global Tele, Ranbaxy, Dr Reddy, DSQ Soft, Wipro, Cipla,VSNL, Hinduja Finance, Sun Pharma, Orient Info, Philips, RS Soft, HCLTechno, Crest Comm, Krone Comm, Peerless Shipping, Sonata Soft, ApolloHospitals.

The scrips which witnessed 10 per cent to 11.5 per cent fall were Sterlite,BPL, Hughes Soft, McDowell, BPCL, BEL, Corp Bank, Trent, Wockhardt, JainStudio, Ipca, Tata Telcom. Nath Seeds.

And the scrips in the 8 per cent to 10 per cent downward level were HLL,SSI, Rel Capital, ICICI, Grasim, Hindustan Lever Chem, Cochin Refineries,Ashok Leyland, Parke Davis, Amaraja Batteries, PSI Data, Indian ShavingProducts.