The Indian rupee depreciated 41 paise to close at 94.56 (provisional) against the US dollar on Tuesday, as elevated crude oil prices and unabated foreign capital outflows amid rising geopolitical uncertainties dented investor sentiments. Indian shares also ended lower as a stronger dollar and elevated oil prices fueled concerns about inflation and the outlook for interest rates and foreign fund inflows. The Sensex fell 416.72 points to 76,886.91 and the Nifty50 dropped 97 points to 23,995.70, slipping below the 24,000 mark. WTI crude futures surged nearly 4.5% to above $100 a barrel. The rupee has already weakened quite sharply, factoring in the likely widening of the Current Account Deficit (CAD) and volatile capital flows. Moreover, persistent foreign fund outflows weighed on the rupee, as so far this year, FIIs have pulled out over USD 19 billion from Indian equities.