Benchmark indices witnessed a sharp decline on Monday as ongoing geopolitical tensions weighed heavily on global markets. Sensex and Nifty both plummeted during the early trading session amidst escalating concerns in the Middle East between Israel and Iran. The BSE Sensex saw a steep drop of almost 1 per cent, shedding over 600 points. Meanwhile, NSE Nifty also lost nearly 200 points, falling below the 22,500 mark.